Questions tagged [switch]
For questions about switches, i.e. electrical devices used to manually open and close an electric circuit on a routine basis.
4
votes
2answers
199 views
Are Sonoff smart switches actually UL listed?
Sonoff is a system that comes up often on this stack. However, I notice it seems to be of unusually low cost, not available in retail shops, sold widely in the "dodgy side of the internet" (eBay, ...
0
votes
2answers
25 views
Light switch specs - max amps vs. watts
I’ve been replacing light switches in my house to Lutron switches, because I think they look pretty.
I’ve noticed that Lutron sometimes specifies a switch as having max load of 600 watts, and ...
0
votes
2answers
21 views
Connect Sonoff and physical switch with a lamp
I want to connect smart Sonoff switch to lamp with physical on-off switch
I want these all scenarios to work:
when physical switch is off, I can turn the lamp on/off via sonoff switch
when ...
-1
votes
1answer
57 views
Why can't I see wiring routed through my top wall plate? [on hold]
I want to run electric power to my living room ceiling from a wall switch. I am trying to snake the wires and I drilled the top plate okay but also went through the attic and room in the process. I ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
Outdoor light fixture not working
I am a newbie with anything electrical so please forgive my ignorance. All of a sudden, my front porch light fixture stopped working. Changing the light bulb didn’t work so I’m trying to figure out if ...
1
vote
4answers
644 views
New Switch for Outdoor Area Lights
I'm working on replacing an old rotary timer switch with a new smart switch, that controls two outdoor area lights. However after getting everything wired up, the switch is not turning on the lights. ...
0
votes
2answers
27 views
How to slave a new light to an existing pull chain light
We recently remodeled our house and had new outdoor lights installed. Well after the fact that only one works. We realized that the one that doesn't was on a pull chain. Well I'm not the smartest ...
0
votes
2answers
29 views
How do I wire a new light from an outlet, with power to the light box?
I'm trying to run power from an outlet box to a light and then to a wall switch to control the light. The outlet box is in the attic and I want to go from the outlet to the light and then from the ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
Light switch shorted; can't figure out why
I swapped out a dimmer switch for another one. This was fairly standard, only two wires to connect, no ground (old condo). Turned the breaker back on, tried things out, the on/off switch worked, the ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Replaced a light switch and now it’s always on. Pops if you flip the switch
Replaced a light switch with a dimmer and now the light won’t turn off and pops if you turn the switch off. The box contains 3 black wires, 3 white wires, and a ground. Only one wire is hot, the black ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
What Can Cause TP-LINK Smart Switch (HS200) To Light (LED) Flicker?
I have bought a TP-LINK (HS200) wall light switch to replace several switches.
The first switch I tried is controlled an outlet that I have a a lamp connected to it. The outlet is configured as ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
troubleshooting smart switch installation
Tried installing a Gosund smart light switch this weekend...didn't go so well. Got it wired up (I think) correctly - attached a picture of the rat's nest behind the plate and did some highlighting of ...
3
votes
2answers
60 views
Replacing Bath Fan Switch with Timer Switch
I want to install a timer switch (it has four wires, red (load), black (hot), white (common), green (ground) to replace one switch in a 2-gang switch box having five incoming cables (see first photo). ...
0
votes
3answers
35 views
How can I convert a single light/fan switch to separate switches?
I have a single switch for ceiling fan and overhead light. I’m looking to wire to a two switch plate so I can run independently.
1
vote
2answers
53 views
Half switched outlet, has both whites connected
I am replacing an outlet that is half switched, but both the whites are connected on the opposite side of the black and red. The white wires have the tab still intact. So I'm confused as to what the ...
1
vote
0answers
26 views
What is a 3-pole fan isolater and why would I need one?
In this answer a part was identified as a "3-pole fan isolater". It appears to me that this is like a "regular" switch that disconnects 3 lines instead of just one.
Is my understanding correct?
What ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Grounding on switch box
Hi all. Firstly, awesome site - learning so much, thank you all!!!!
Mid-80's custom home in Florida. Changing out to some smart switches. Seems no ground in box, best I can tell? Was reading ...
0
votes
0answers
41 views
How to use wired light switch to control wireless section?
I have the following setup in the kitchen:
1. A wall light-switch that controls an electrical point in a counter (currently with an a/c plug and a led strip attached)
2. A cabinet separated from that ...
1
vote
3answers
114 views
Two power sources in a single gang switch box
I'm in the process of upgrading a bunch of switches in my house to TP Link Kasa smart switches. I just opened a switch box and I don't understand the wire configuration in it, and was hoping to get ...
1
vote
0answers
66 views
I want to hook up two lights and two separate switches
I want to hook up two lights and two switches. There are three cables. One has three black wires, the other two have one yellow wire and one black wire each. I'm assuming that one of the cables with ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
Installing a Kasa smart switch
I am trying to upgrade a switch that controls two wall outlets in a 2-gang switch box with a Kasa smart switch. The wall outlets controlled by the switch are split switched outlets.
Here's a diagram ...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Rewiring a UK dimmer switch with a Wifi switch
I've just bought a wifi switch and was wondering if somebody could tell me which wire goes to which please? I'm thinking the following?
L = Live (Brown)
L1 = Arrow over tilde??
N = Blue (Neutral)
...
2
votes
3answers
50 views
How dangerous is induction in my wires?
I had to replace a cable going to a light switch. The cable was about 7m long and contained three (1.5mm^2) copper wires, with a distance of about 2mm between any two of them.
Source
One wire was ...
0
votes
3answers
73 views
Installing a Smart Light Switch
I would like to install a Smart Switch (in the UK). I am confused regarding what wires go where and the fact that this requires a neutral wire.
This is the back of the new switch:
Although I know I ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Bathroom light switch changed, now the light only turns on when the fan switch is turned on.
I switched the light switch in the bathroom today because the toggle broke off. I took out the old one, which is the Leviton 15 Amp Duplex Style Single-Pole / 3-Way AC Combination Toggle Light Switch ...
0
votes
2answers
72 views
two-phase 50amps electric switch
I will be installing a NEMA 14-50 outlet/socket for my Level 2 EV charger.
On average, it'll be about one connect-disconnect cycle a day.
To avoid wear, I'd like to install a two-phase switch that ...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
Recessed lights quit working
All 4 of my kitchen recessed lights quit working yesterday. I tried installing a switch but I have a black and white active nutted together.
I have two black wires one active one not and an active ...
1
vote
0answers
25 views
Installing light switch timer
I am replacing switches in my 1950s house and want to put a new switch timer for my porch light. There was a old one already in place. I am confused because I installed the switch next to it using the ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Wiring 2 or 3 outlets controlled by one switch
I want 2 ( maybe 3) outlets controlled by the same switch. Easy enough. But, in addition, I want half of each outlet controlled by the switch and the other half of each outlet always hot. Is there a ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
Inserting bulb into fixture causes circuit breaker to blow,
I'm installing two new bathroom light fixtures. First one went in fine. Second one will blow the wall receptacle based circuit breaker the moment I screw in the bulb (in fact three different bulbs ...
0
votes
3answers
80 views
What is the advantage of a double pole switch over a single pole switch?
I know that a double pole switch is used to cut off the current in both live and neutral wire simultaneously, but by using a single pole switch,if you switch off the current through the live wire, the ...
1
vote
1answer
34 views
How do I wire in a bathroom light/fan to this box?
This is a very old house. I wanted to add a light/fan to this bathroom while the ceiling was down for repair. When I opened the switch box this is what I found (second picture). A GFI wired correctly,...
2
votes
2answers
42 views
Moving patio fan to its own switch
Under our patio, we have a fan and a security light. The fan and the security light are the same light switch, so they are both on, or both off. The only way to run the fan without the security light ...
1
vote
2answers
26 views
Help replacing a dimmer switch
Hi. Hopefully someone can help me with this. I have a dimmer switch that controls a ceiling fan with lights. I want just a regular on/off switch. When you run the fan it makes a noise unless the ...
0
votes
2answers
70 views
Multiple lights question [closed]
I have a switch that turns multiple lights on. But I make some recent renovations and while maintaining the current switch I want to control each light individually too with different phases / hot ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
Help getting switch working properly
In our garage we have a switch that controlled a light in the ceiling for a small laundry room. I have torn out that room and, in doing so, removed two lines coming down from the garage attic. When ...
0
votes
0answers
233 views
Light Switch 1 Red 2 Black Wires
I have a light switch that has 1 red wire that goes into a hole by it's self and 2 black wires that go into the same hole the white wires are tied together with a nut and pushed to the back of the box....
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Old construction, replacing light switch, bundled ground
I am replacing the light switch in my old home (1981). I can see that all grounds are at the back bundled together. Do I still have to legally connect the ground to the light switches' ground screw?
...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
How to wire switch for outside motion sensing light
I have an outside motion sensing light which uses a nitewatch MW-12 motion detector. There is an existing Intermatic Inc. SS7 switch on the inside of the house which is very convoluted to program (...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Two switches what is it for and what does it mean?
I am not expertise as an Electrician here but I wanted to ask anyone here why do I have two switches here and what does that mean ?
Can anyone point me a good website that can I read about it ? I ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Having trouble with a half hot switch
I am currently going through the process of replacing all the outdated cream colored outlets in my home with white ones. Recently I was doing the ones in the master bedroom, where there is no overhead ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
How to Wire New 1 Way Switch From 2 Existing 3 Way Switches
I've done a lot of searching and can't seem to make sense of what to do in my situation. I had 2 existing 3 way switches that I've replaced with new 3 way dimmers and also added a third single pole (...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
Is it a good idea to separate switch for recess lights and chandelier in living room?
I am just asking in general. I have 8 recessed lights to install and 1 chandelier in the center. There will be plenty of light so I can turn on just the recessed light and/or chandelier. The ...
0
votes
3answers
69 views
Making sure old Honeywell Thermostat (round dial) doesn't turn on
I've had to cover my baseboard heater with painter's tape and duct tape because I keep getting click beetles strolling into my apartment after 6pm (I live in Michigan, and the temps are dropping).
I ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Dim LED light when single pole switch is on or off
I am currently trying to replace a single pole switch. I have a black/red/white/bare wires in the electrical box. I assumed I could just place the black and red to the switch and attach then the ...
4
votes
2answers
306 views
Room Light Switch Malfunction
I have a standard, on/off light switch for the fan/light in a room. The past 2 days the light does not want to turn on when the switch is flipped "up" it wants to turn on when the switch is almost in ...
1
vote
2answers
68 views
Alt hot white and red wires, neutral black? How to connect motion detector switch
I'm replacing a standard switch with a Hubbell ws2000w. The light is on a 3 way, I'm only replacing one of the switches. The hubbell switch has a black (line), red (load), green (ground) and yellow (...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Can I replace a plug with a switch?
I have a dilemma. In my kitchen, there has always been an unused electrical box in the ceiling. On the wall in my kitchen, there has always been a switch that doesn't control anything. I always ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Is using the second terminal hole on the back of a switch electrically the same as bundling it with other neutral wires?
First, a picture for reference:
My question is: if I were to take the neutral wire coming from the light out of the wire nut bundle and instead put it into the second hole next to B, would it be ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
Two light switches do not work
I recently changed a timer out in 3 switch "bank". In changing out the timer I accidently touched the Common from the timer to another light switch. It short circuited. Since that time the timer works ...
