8
votes
Accepted
How do I replace this switch if the black wire is looped around the screw?
I would make sure the power was off first, but there is no reason not to cut to use a wire nut.
It was done this way to save a wire nut.
- 22.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How to Fix my DIY Smart Switch Install
It looks to me like cable 5 is a switch loop. White should be the always-hot wire and black should be the switched-hot wire. There is no neutral.
The popular response to that is to steal neutral ...
7
votes
Accepted
Can I wire a smart switch with a neutral and no load?
That is possible. under specific circumstances.
Currently you have a switch loop between the outlet and the switch. These are usually done with a marked white and a black in the US.
If that is the ...
- 11.6k
6
votes
Lutron Diva smart dimmer, won't work in a 5-way without accessory switches?
Here is how 3-way wiring works. There are 2 travelers. One is hot and one is not. Any 3-way switch simply swaps which one is hot.
Here's how a 4-way works. It's exactly the same thing, except an ...
6
votes
How can I wire one switch to control two circuits (different breakers)
One very viable way to solve this problem very nicely is to simply replace both of the existing switches with the Lutron Caseta series smart switches. Lutron also has the PICO remote module which is a ...
- 64.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Using 15 amp smart switch requiring 14awg wires for lighting/fans on 20 amp circuit
You can totally use 15A rated switches on a 20A circuit, provided they have a fixed load of 15A or less on them. What you can't do is hook up 14 gauge wire in a 20A circuit, even if it's on the other ...
- 9,197
5
votes
Accepted
So just how hard is it to pull new wiring into a typical switch loop?
If you have conduit, relatively easy. But I doubt you have conduit, just statistically speaking, since you are not in Chicago or New York City. Easy enough to tell - just open a box and look at the ...
5
votes
How to Fix my DIY Smart Switch Install
Only neutrals on the same breaker should be connected together.
All grounds no matter the breaker can be together.
If circuit 3 is on a different breaker than circuit 5, then the neutral #3 should not ...
- 22.8k
5
votes
Accepted
How to turn on another lamp across room with lightswitch that only controls a one outlet?
I believe this device will do what your asking. When you turn on your outlet operated by a switch it will automatically turn on light on the non-switched outlet. You can link multiple devices.
https://...
- 1,814
5
votes
Three way switch neutral
Yes you can, it depends on what smart switch you get. This would work with what I have installed.
You have neutral and live coming in
You use white and black for that to both switches.
One smart ...
- 5,090
4
votes
Accepted
Is it OK to have asymmetric house wiring?
Nope, this is a straight violation of NEC 300.3(B).
Related conductors must be in the same cable or conduit.
This also violates the spirit of the rule, which is to disallow imbalanced current in the ...
4
votes
Changing a 3 gang Australian light switch to a 3 gang Smart switch
That thing where a light is controlled by switches in 2 locations, is called 2-way wiring in the UK. No idea what it's called in AU/NZ.
This isn't going to work with your existing 2-way wiring.
I'm ...
4
votes
How can I connect this smart relay to my light switch?
You don't. It's not UL Listed.
Anything installed in AC power wiring must be UL listed, or the functional equivalents of CSA or ETL Listing. That will involve one of those logos and a 6-9 digit file ...
4
votes
Multiple intelligent light switches?
That is fairly standard stuff. There are smart lights that can be controlled from multiple switches and from Alexa. We can't help you shop for specific ones but the features you are looking for are:
...
- 34.3k
4
votes
electrical switch wiring question
Anytime you see ground connected to neutral or live you have big problem.
Ground wires can/must only be connected to other ground wires and/or metal junction/switch/outlet boxes.
You have a rewiring ...
- 22.8k
4
votes
Can I use ground as neutral for a smart switch?
There are a few smart switches that are listed to work with ground, not neutral. Those are the only ones you should be considering, unless you run new cable.
- 202k
3
votes
How do I replace this switch if the black wire is looped around the screw?
The existing black wire is using a lazy way of chaining to a second switch. The proper ways are:
Use a wire nut to connect the incoming wire and a short wire to each switch (pigtails)
Use a switch ...
3
votes
Accepted
Alternative approach (without new wire) to splitting single switch into 2 switches controlling bathroom fan and light separately
No easy solutions that I know of. The standard thing is, of course, new cables as needed. How much drywall work would be needed depends on access. In particular, if there is access above the ceiling (...
3
votes
Accepted
Creating 3 Way switch with existing wiring and smart switch
Smart switches to the rescue. Easiest if you use a wireless second switch. Lutron Caseta with a Pico remote will do the job, but there are certainly other options as well.
Smart switch goes in box 1.
...
3
votes
Accepted
Neutral wire existence / problem?
My wonderful answer below is a general answer for 3-way switches, colored wires, etc. But it turns out this particular smart switch has very specific instructions. Followed 100% exactly I suspect ...
3
votes
How to turn on another lamp across room with lightswitch that only controls a one outlet?
Other answer was exactly what you need but for the same cost you can get lutron caseta setup which is much better. Replace wall switch with Lutron caseta dimmer, this will control wired switch outlet....
- 371
3
votes
Best way to control many lights with a single switch
Yes, C
Putting in smart bulbs or cans and retaining the existing switches will have the (big IMO) disadvantage that when certain wall switches are turned off, their respective lights will go off line ...
- 34.3k
3
votes
How should new switches be connected in this box?
I've completed the project – here's what I was able to determine:
The power started with the left switch and daisy chained to the other two, and eventually into two outlets. Line was at the bottom of ...
- 53
3
votes
Sanity check: wire count and wire nuts
Codewise, unless you do a bad job and fail the "in a workmanlike manner" criteria, using one big wirenut or 2-3 smaller ones and a bunch of pigtails is the same. Pigtails within a box (as ...
- 202k
3
votes
Three way switch neutral
Probably not, or not easily.
Neutral isn't present at either of the switches; there is a hot and two traveller wires on one end, and two traveller wires and a switched hot on the other. that was ...
- 27.5k
3
votes
Can I wire a smart switch with a neutral and no load?
First, the building codes require you have physical switches in most rooms that allow a person to be able to turn on a light. Code is not particular about the underlying mechanism. It does not ...
3
votes
Accepted
What happens if I bundle all 4 travelers from an old 4-way switch?
Let's start by focusing on the goal. You want to install a Kasa remote which does not use any of the switching wires, since it communicates with the master via radio. However, it needs always-hot ...
2
votes
How do I wire a smart switch in electrical box that contains 4 neutral wires?
I don't know what craziness is going on in your 1st pic with the neutrals all spread out between various things ... so I'm going to ignore that pic and pretend I didn't see it.
Judging by what I see ...
- 6,273
2
votes
How do I wire a smart switch in electrical box that contains 4 neutral wires?
All of the neutrals, white wires, need to be connected together. there's probably only one real neutral from the main panel so all need to b connected together so they will all be neutrals. Maybe you ...
- 78.7k
2
votes
Accepted
Installing Kasa smart dimmer 3 way with only 4 wires?
Changing things a bit. Based on last question comment, the black going to the switch in box 1 is switched hot and the black going to the /3 cable is hot. With dumb switches, that's one of a number of ...
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