Questions tagged [switch]
For questions about switches, i.e. electrical devices used to manually open and close an electric circuit on a routine basis.
0
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1answer
45 views
Removing light switch permanently
I have a light switch that powers an outlet when it's turned on. I want to remove the switch, connect the wires and make the power in the outlet permanently on. In that case, what am I supposed to do ...
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2answers
100 views
Why are 3-way center-off wall switched so rare / expensive?
I'm looking for a switch to mount in an upstairs hallway that will control an attic/roof ventilation fan. The switch will select whether I want the attic thermostat to control the fan, vs manual-on, ...
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2answers
314 views
Wifi light switch needs neutral wire. Why? AND Can that wire be a skinny one?
What does the neutral wire do on a light switch that responds to wifi?
My suspicion is that when the switch is in the off position, the electronics in the switch need to still be powered, so the ...
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2answers
53 views
Wiring a Split Outlet with Two Neutrals
I’m trying to replace a very old outlet in my kitchen. The garbage disposal and the dishwasher are plugged into this outlet. The top outlet is switched, but the bottom is always hot. Everything I’ve ...
3
votes
3answers
71 views
How to switch 40A timer used for outdoor lighting and direct 120V outdoor lighting
I am redoing my outdoor lighting and need to move 3 wall switches used for outdoor 120V lighting to a different place within the house. The issue is that the inground wire is 10/2 UF but the inside ...
2
votes
1answer
27 views
Replacing double light switch 4 black and one red
I hear a popping from one of my old double switches. I opened it up to understand the wiring before replacing. I have 4 blacks and 1 red. I have attached pictures. One of the switches controls a light ...
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2answers
42 views
What is the first step in fitting a switch to existing wiring?
Below is an image of cables previously connected to a double light switch at a building in the UK. The occupant wanted to know why there was an additional white cable and how to go about fitting a new ...
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0answers
23 views
1 switch - 2 Lights
I'm replacing a switch, in a mobile home, just to update and have a white one. I removed old switch, which was a self-enclosed box switch. What is the right way to wire it. I wired it up to new switch ...
1
vote
1answer
47 views
Remove switch that controls thermostat
I recently bought a condominium in a large building, built in 2005. It has a single thermostat, and the thermostat works fine. But right next to the thermostat, there is a switch. It looks like an ...
5
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2answers
3k views
Light Switch Terminals
I am replacing a light switch and found three black wires going to it. Two go to the screw terminals and one goes to the push terminal:
I verified with a multimeter that the central and bottom ...
0
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2answers
48 views
New Fan Switch Question
My old switch does not have a white wire. Should I add one and attach it to the grommet inside the box?
Also, in most diagrams, the black wire enters the box from the top an leaves from the bottom. ...
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0answers
20 views
Upgrade 4-speed pull chain fan switch
Can anyone advise how to replace a 4-speed pull chain fan
switch with a capacitor, by a simple wall 4-speed switch?
Thanks in advance for any support
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1answer
77 views
How do I wire one outlet and two separate light switches in a three-gang box?
I'm remodeling an older bathroom. I would like to replace a combination switch/receptacle with two separate light switches and a receptacle in a three-gang box.
The white and black wires on the power ...
6
votes
2answers
601 views
Light Switch Neutrals: Bundle all together?
I am in the process of hooking up 2 GE Z-wave light switches. I've hooked up multiple smart switches but ironically only one has needed neutrals (these 2). They are both going in a double gang box ...
6
votes
4answers
6k views
Dimmer switch not connected to ground
I know just the basics of electricity and am trying to replace an older dimmer switch that broke with a new very similar switch.
The old switch is not connected to ground. The new switch has the ...
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votes
2answers
49 views
Additional wire on light switch with no 3 way
I recently changed my sons' bedroom light switch with Lutron smart dimmer. The house is fairly new and has not been remodeled. I have changed out about 3 other light switches without issue. This ...
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0answers
46 views
Why do my ceiling fans' light and fan switches suddenly seem combined?
I recently moved into an almost new house with 3 bedrooms, each has a basic ceiling fan/light with two wall switches. One controls the fan and the other the lights. Yesterday the switch that controls ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
How can I tell if a dimmer switch is LED compatible?
I have recently put some smart LED bulbs into my ceiling fan (Lifx if the brand matters) and there is a bad humming noise. Previously there was some humming in at least one of the LED bulbs (they ...
1
vote
3answers
99 views
Melted switch replacement
Was taking a shower and smelled some melting plastic. Turns out that the switch to the heat function of my bathroom fan was the cause of the melting smell. That one switch is part of a box that has 3 ...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
No power in outlets after changing light switches
This is a room with a two switch board and some power outlets. One Switch was controlling the fan and other it's light. Outlets, switches and fan+light were all working fine until I wanted to change ...
0
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0answers
51 views
One box has 2 black, 2 white, 2 ground, and one red; the other box has 1 black, 1 white, 1 ground
I'm trying to connect two simple ceiling pendant lights, and my contractor put in a new single pole switch box with 1 black, 1 white, 1 bare. No power runs to it (checked it with the meter) so I ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Parallel Relay light switch
An existing light switch is to be augmented with a parallel Sensor Switch PP20 relay, which is driven by PIR (passive infrared) sensors.
The current switch is a two terminal device and was wired into ...
2
votes
2answers
100 views
Single pole switch with lighting “zones”?
Somewhat of a challenge...
I'm going from a single light to recessed lighting in my studio condo.
There is a single pole switch that this single light is currently connected to.
I'm going to install ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Lights are flickering on and off after accidentally bumping into light switch
During the night, I accidentally bumped into my light switch, jamming it in towards itself. Now, the lights in my room will sometimes flicker on and off very quickly when after turning on the lights. ...
2
votes
2answers
52 views
Replacing an old light switch with a new one. Trying to figure out correct wiring
My old light switch did not have the common labeled and just had two brass screw connectors. Coming in the bottom of the box was a black, a white, and ground wire. The ground was connected to another ...
2
votes
1answer
46 views
Adding a switch and receptacle
I have a pull chain light in my shed. Power comes in to the light. I want to add a switch to the light so I don't have to use the pull chain. Is it possible to run electricity down to a 2 gang box and ...
3
votes
1answer
41 views
Low voltage track lighting flashing at low frequency
I have two sets of track lighting on the same switch, and one of the tracks flashes at a low frequency at seemingly random times. Video of the behavior.
Some relevant details:
The two tracks are on ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
Light and fan switches
I would like to have a double wall switch for the toilet where one switch (#1) turns on both the light and the fan while the second switch (#2) turns only the fan. Please note the light and the fan ...
0
votes
1answer
70 views
Does anyone make a 3 circuit switch?
I would like to run 3 separate 120 volt items 10.2 max amp per item using 3 separate circuits, but only have a single switch box to use. I have seen single circuit in 3 switch out, but want 3 in 3 out....
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0answers
20 views
Trying to replace a cracked light switch for my bathroom lighting
The existing light switch once I removed it from the junction box has three black wires. There is no white nor green for ground connected to the existing switch. I see white wires bundled in the back ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
3-way switch and top only hot outlet troubleshooting
We're trying to fix some electrical issues done by our house's previous owners and while doing so, somehow we lost the ability to control the top half of our outlets using a light switch. Long story ...
4
votes
3answers
968 views
Convert two switches to a dual stack, and add outlet - possible here?
Here's the setup in our kitchen. On the left with two brown wires is the disposal switch. On the right is a switch for an over-the-sink light.
I would like to put these into a dual (stacked) ...
0
votes
1answer
84 views
Why did my switch spark when I installed it in a metal junction box?
Okay, so I put in a new Wifi Light Switch. The box was metal and tiny, while the switch was big and all of the screws were on the bottom of the switch. Why did it spark and blow up? Was it because all ...
2
votes
2answers
52 views
Wiring new light switch
I am trying to install a motion activated light switch in my basement of my condo in the United States. On the switch it states that it's max load is 500 watts which should be plenty since the switch ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Need help identifying a light switch
At work we have some light switches that look like this, and I've seen similar ones at school and at other commercial offices. This one is installed in Vancouver, Canada
The lights also have a motion ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Weird wiring in a 4-connection switch configuration for ceiling fan/light
I bought a new fan with an LED light, so the dimmer switch connected to the old fan has to be switched. When I pulled out the switch, I found a confusing set up.
Wiring instructions
The current ...
0
votes
1answer
63 views
Can a 3way switch provide a constant hot line to another unrelated load or switch?
I had some electrical work done but we were unable to test the lines and now the electrician is gone. To simplify the problem, we have two electrical boxes and two loads. One load (INSIDE LIGHT) will ...
2
votes
1answer
75 views
Two switches, one turns both lights on, the other just one of them
I have two separate lights in a room. And two separate switches (actually one switch and one motion sensor). I want one switch to turn both lights on, and one switch to turn just one of the lights on.
...
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vote
1answer
47 views
Replacing Single switch with timer switch - Original two switches connected
I want to replace a switch with a timer switch, however on checking out the wiring the two original switches have a black wire connecting the two. The switch I want to replace is the rightmost switch. ...
3
votes
2answers
71 views
Replacing formerly half-hot converted to always-hot receptacles with NEW receptacles
I have four receptacles in my family room that I just replaced. These receptacles used to be half-hot. One of the previous owners converted them to always-hot by removing and capping the wires in the ...
0
votes
3answers
52 views
Wiring a light switch that only has one cable when the new switch (with neon indicator) has live and neutral both in and out
I am replacing a light switch with one including a neon indicator. There is only one cable to the switch but the new switch has live and neutral terminals for both 'in' and 'out'. Which terminals do I ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
Do I need a neutral on the other end of a three-way switch?
I'm looking at adding a three-way switch to a room. I'll probably drop the hot and neutral into Box #1, but 12/2/2 (hot, 2x travelers and a neutral) is fairly esoteric cable (nobody locally sells it ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Light Switch Wiring, hot wire to lights
I have a light switch that has the black wire attached to the bottom terminal and the white wire attached to the top terminal. Is there any way I can add another light switch for recessed lights to ...
2
votes
1answer
70 views
Wire colours reversed on switch
I've just installed a new (1 way, ceiling pull cord) switch in my bathroom since the old one broke. When I came to change it, it was not wired the way I expected with the live into the COM terminal ...
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vote
2answers
176 views
How can I combine two wall switches into one?
As you can see in the picture the top switch doesn’t work at all. The bottom switch is the one that actually works.
How can I change this 2 switches to just 1 - when I would buy a brand new one
...
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vote
1answer
99 views
Can anyone recognize these parts?
I was repairing/replacing a set of switches. Two brass metal parts fell out. I don't know what they are or where they came from. I don't know if they are essential or not.
Does anyone recognize them?
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votes
1answer
20 views
What does a single beep and one flash mean when using my Ames non contact tester
I have an Ames non contact tester. When get a single beep/light next to a light switch not a constant beep or flash. What does this mean?
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2answers
71 views
Fan and Light Switch Reversed
I have a switch in my master bedroom that my family replaced. The controls are switched. The fan turns on when you put the light switch on and the light turns on only when the fan switch is all the ...
1
vote
1answer
60 views
Can an arcing switch damage the breaker or cause a fire?
I live in a 1980s mobile home with light switches and breakers as in the picture. If the switch is arcing or if the switch is held between on/off for a few seconds can this damage the breaker? The ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
Switches in other bedrooms turning on different lights after I put new light up
I recently put up a light in my bedroom but the switches in other rooms now turn on different lights, there are 9 wires altogether coming through the ceiling, 3 earth which are connected together, 3 ...
