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I'm new here and may have caused a problem when rewiring to install recessed lighting.

The wiring of my entry area is done in such a way that:

  • Cutting the light on, will cut on the light in the entry area AND provide On/Off capabilities to the adjacent bedroom
  • Cutting the light off, will cut off the light in the entry area AND not provided On/Off capabilities to the adjacent bedroom

A diagram of what this looks like is attached. I'm new to this type of thing and the nearest electrician mentioned it is likely an easy fix but no one has the time (booked out) until 2 weeks earliest...

Does anyone have pointers (tutorials online, books, etc) suggestions or solutions on how to get this working so that the switch is not controlling the other room?

Thanks for looking! enter image description here

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  • Quick pointer you have a black wire mixed on the wrong side of the switch so in 1 position that light turns on and the other light works when off the other light gets no power so it can’t work. Someone will have time to explain further – Ed Beal Feb 22 at 22:30
  • Is the diagram the "light box" or the "switch box"? If it is the "light box" (which I suspect is the case) then we need a diagram or even better, PICTURES of the wires going to the switches in both switch boxes - entry and bedroom. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Feb 22 at 22:31
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    Can you post photos of the insides of all boxes involved please? – ThreePhaseEel Feb 23 at 0:58
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@Ed Beal @NoSparksPlease - so yes, these 2 wires needed to be wire nutted together, leaving only the red connected. That resolved the issue, and i've found this video to explain what was happening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRSgemIxamU (Scenario 2 at the 2:47 mark)

@manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact 2 - yes the diagram is showing the light box, not the switch box

@ThreePhaseEel - I will indeed post pictures if this ever happens again -- assuming I can't get a hold of an electrician as the first option.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

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Ed is likely right. A photo of the wires connected to the hall switch would make the description easier, but it sounds like you have three wires connected to the hall switch, one end has one wire, it is the hot. The other end has two wires, or has one wire attached to a wire connector with two other wires. One goes to the hall light, the other to the bedroom switch. You will have to guess by disconnecting one of those two one at a time to find which goes to the bedroom switch, and find a way to attach it to the end of the switch that has a single wire.

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