Occupancy sensor/switch install in older home?


  #1  
Old 03-27-08, 07:20 PM
R
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Occupancy sensor/switch install in older home?

Have begun swapping out standard wall switches for ones possessing occupancy senors. First one went in, comparatively, simple. As the house is ~50 years old, I have old fabric covered, two conductor wire in the walls. The first light I rewired, so I would have the extra live connection I need for the switch, with 12-3. Now, a few months later, I am in the next bedroom, and cannot get the circuit to work, no matter what I try. I have even swapped out switches, in case the first was bad.

The configuration: Black, white & red running from the switch to the fixture. Fixture also has spliced cable coming and going, so black & white in, and black and white out. Also, there are the load wires, white & black, from the fixture.

I have grounded the switch, and I have tried running white from the switch to black in/out cable in the fixture, at the same time running black from the switch to black from the lamp, and the white in/out to the white from the lamp. Regardless, where ever I hook up the Red from the switch, I will either get no light function, though the switch & indicator LED behave properly, or I can start with correct LED function, can turn the light on from the switch, but cannot then turn it off, and have no LED function.

Help, please. This is driving me around the bend.

Ray~
 
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Old 03-28-08, 07:39 AM
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Does your occupancy sensor device require a neutral connection? Some do, and often in a switch box the neutral conductor is not present/.
 
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Old 03-28-08, 11:35 AM
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Yes, that is the issue. I have tried to connect the red contact to everywhere I thought was neutral, but obviously, haven't been successful. How/where am I guaranteed to find a neutral, or what may be used as a second neutral in this case?

Thanks!
Ray~
 
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Old 03-28-08, 04:30 PM
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Smile

Perhaps you may want to start over with your description, and tell us exactly which wires were in the existing box were you want to install your new switch , and which wires were hooked up to your old switch. Perhaps someone else can picture what you are currently looking at, but I'm having a difficulty. Perhaps I just need another cup of coffee. (lol)
 
 

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