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Questions tagged [switch]

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For questions about switches, i.e. electrical devices used to manually open and close an electric circuit on a routine basis.

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25 views

Help adding a 3 way switch

I have a 4 season room with some lights but the switch is in the kitchen. I installed a 2-gang box in the room and ran a 3-wire romex wire from the new box to the existing box (they are on the ...
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0answers
18 views

Two light switches and three black wires

I've never seen this setup before and was wondering if others had. One of the switches powers a ceiling light in the foyer and the other powers two outside lights on the front porch. Right now neither ...
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0answers
34 views

3 black wires into switch

I have a simple light switch in a closet and I wanted to change it out for one with a switch and an outlet. The back of the switch had 3 black wires - 2 going into push in connectors on the top left ...
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2answers
85 views

Replacing light switches and outlets without electrical boxes

I have a '96 manufactured home I'm getting ready to sell and most of the outlets and switches are a tan color that doesn't work with the color scheme I'm changing it too, plus they just look dirty. I ...
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7answers
8k views

I want light controlled by one switch, not two

I have two switches that control one light. I would like to close one of the switches, so that the light is only turned on and off by one of them. I removed the light switch from one of them (pictured)...
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2answers
73 views

I opened a light switch and found an unterminated wire in the junction box. Is this unsafe?

I switched of the main circuit breaker to the house and opened up a light switch to see if I had a neutral wire, so I could buy a smart switch. But when I took off the plate I found what appears to ...
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0answers
45 views

3 cables into a 2 switch box

My breaker keeps tripping because of this wiring and/or faulty switches and now with a new switch, my ceiling fan won’t turn but the light still works and it still trips. I’m trying to figure out how ...
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1answer
35 views

Extra Wire in Light Switch Box?

I'm attempting to replace two switches in my house with smart switches (specifically, this one for the lights and this one for the fan). Upon opening my switch box and loosening the old light switches,...
2
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2answers
199 views

First time changing switches and outlets (receptacles). Anything special I should know?

I am replacing a bunch of switches and receptacles in my house. While I understand the basics, this is pretty much my first electrical project, and I figure there must be some hidden "gotchas" or ...
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2answers
21 views

Can a simmerstat switch be fixed? And how?

I stumbled across this site and think it sounds like someone might be able to help me with my problem… Let me outline… I have a cooktop (St George CC355, if that's useful) and it has two hotplates (...
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0answers
51 views

Remaining AC Voltage [duplicate]

So I have a three switch box and one goes to a light/receptacle outlet on the wall. The other two go to my ceiling fan. When I read the wires out when they are switched off I get 0vac. When I turn ...
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2answers
4k views

Replacing 5 gang light switches that have 3 of them daisy chained together

I am trying to figure out how to wire these with a new style light switches (the basic 1 and 2-way switches from Home Depot). I've installed light switches before but this is confusing to me because ...
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0answers
28 views

Charred ground, dimmable switch, no light, keep shining coffee table

this old house, ongoing issues. I'm having a hard time figuring this out, here's the story with the living room lights, Lutron S-603P dimmable switch 600W max 5A Charred copper ground wire. The ...
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4answers
62 views

Rewire attic fan from switched to always-on

I have an attic fan wired to a thermostat that I'd like to come on whenever it's hot enough. The problem is, the fan is wired to a circuit that's operated by the light switch for the stairs into the ...
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0answers
63 views

Remove Light Switch - Bury or Move?

I have an interesting concern. I bought a house built in 1978, and since then the previous owners made some changes. One of which I can't figure out how to do safely and up to code. And I have read ...
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0answers
26 views

Replacing old bathroom fan/heater/light switch

Not changing the fan, but wanted to change out switch. This is what I'm seeing so I'm not sure what is going on. Thoughts?
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0answers
37 views

Dedicated 240v 30A Circuit Switched for A/C and NEMA 14-30 [duplicate]

I have a dedicated 240 volt circuit that's hard wired into my air conditioning unit. The circuit has a 30 amp breaker at the main box and another 30 amp breaker on the wall next to my air conditioner....
0
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1answer
36 views

Installed dimmer switch caused another switch to stop working

I installed a dimmer in my bedroom today and I just realised that the dimmer in my mom's room and in the corridor is not working anymore... Followed standard procedure : Breaker off, changed the old ...
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1answer
68 views

What did I do wrong with this Legrand RRW600U wiring?

I just moved into a new house, and I'm trying to wire up TWO Legrand RRW600U 3-way occupancy switches to a light in the basement. I want motion at the top or bottom of the stairs to turn on the light....
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1answer
69 views

Can an illuminated switch be made to work with LED bulbs?

I have an illuminated switch (made by Viko, a Panasonic brand). The switch controls a fan with a LED bulb. The bulb flickers when it is off and the switch is off: video To avoid this, I have to ...
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0answers
31 views

How do I wire three smart Wifi switches to toggle one another?

I have three Wifi switches that will be wired into the mains. Is it possible to have them act as a toggle for a set of lights? Ie, one switch turns on, they other two switches also turn on. Similarly, ...
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2answers
41 views

If a receptacle is added from a switch box, will the receptacle only work when the switch is off?

When I was a new electrician, one day I discovered I could read 120v across the terminals of an open switch. I was bothered by this thinking someone had wired it wrong, but I couldn't understand why ...
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1answer
63 views

is there maximum of live wires allowed in one conduit

I have a light switch panel that has multiple switches to control different lights for a big area. The panel is located not in the most comfortable place, therefore I am planning to move 6 switches to ...
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2answers
58 views

Wiring for light switch and exhaust fan

Let me start by saying I don't really know what I am talking about, so my vocabulary may be incorrect. This is all based upon my best interpretation of the problem. I am replacing some old light ...
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2answers
129 views

Light Fixture Stopped Working After Replacing Its Three-Way Switch

I have a halogen light fixture that is powered by a three-way switch at the top of the stairs and another three-way switch at the bottom of the stairs. After I replaced both switches with new 3-way ...
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1answer
19 views

Type of Replacement Switch For Auto Dimming Outdoor Security Light

I have an existing security light mounted on my garage, with two floodlight bulbs, that comes on at dusk. The light is generally on in a dimming mode all night, unless the motion detector senses a ...
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0answers
31 views

4 way circuit, need to reduce it to 3 way

I have a 4 way circuit (two 3way switches and one 4way ) controlling one light in my back patio. I would like to add a second light and use one of the 3 existing switches to control it, turning the ...
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1answer
59 views

Shutoff switch before breaker box

I want to upgrade my 100 amp power to 200 amp. Under the new 200 Amp setup, can I install a switch that will cut all power to the hot bars in the box, say for lock-out, tag-out? Do they make a switch ...
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0answers
19 views

Converted 3 way switch to single pole. Disconnected traveler wire hot when fixture turned on

I converted a three way switch in my dining room to a single pole smart switch and plan to put a blank wall plate where the old switch resided. I identified the common wire and the two travelers (one ...
0
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1answer
41 views

3 way switch controlling outlets. Top working bottom now?

So I just replaced all the outlets and switches In my new house. A three way switch controls all 4 outlets in the living room. I broke the brass tab on one of the outlets and now only the top outlet ...
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0answers
39 views

No voltage after changing light switches

I turned the power off and replaced a few light switches... and when I turned the breaker back on, one of the switches on a circuit is not working. There are a few other switches on the same circuit ...
0
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1answer
63 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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5answers
180 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
354 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
64 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
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3answers
78 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
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1answer
30 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
55 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
24 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
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1answer
49 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
4k 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
51 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
22 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
0
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1answer
91 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
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2answers
609 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
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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 ...
0
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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 ...
0
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0answers
48 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
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1answer
55 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
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3answers
126 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 ...

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