Light Switch with Red Wire
#1
12-19-11, 07:38 AM
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Light Switch with Red Wire
I just replaced all our light switches and outlets, and the only light switch that controls more than a single light now does not work.
This light switch controls 3 or 4 outlets and will turn on/off the lights that are plugged into these outlets.
When replacing, I replaced with the same type of switch and was careful to wire just as it was originally. It is not turning any outlets on/off and tried a couple different hook ups to see if I mixed up the wires but nothing.
There are only 2 wires in the light switch box, a black and red.
Any ideas or advise on what I may have done wrong?
Thanks
This light switch controls 3 or 4 outlets and will turn on/off the lights that are plugged into these outlets.
When replacing, I replaced with the same type of switch and was careful to wire just as it was originally. It is not turning any outlets on/off and tried a couple different hook ups to see if I mixed up the wires but nothing.
There are only 2 wires in the light switch box, a black and red.
Any ideas or advise on what I may have done wrong?
Thanks
#2
12-19-11, 08:42 AM
Did you change the receptacles also?
Unless your house has conduit which I wouldn't expect there should also be a white.
There are only 2 wires in the light switch box, a black and red.
#3
12-19-11, 08:58 AM
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There is not a White that I saw... I thought I was anal enough to take one wire off, attach it to the new and then take the next off and attach it so I would not mix anything up....
Yes, I replaced all the plugs also....
Yes, I replaced all the plugs also....
#6
12-19-11, 10:33 AM
Please tell us if this is cable or conduit. Did you try bypassing the switch by wire nutting together the red and black wire at the switch. If that doesn't work tell us the wiring at the first receptacle, the one controlled by the switch. Tell us all the wires and how they are connected. Elaborating on what SD515 wrote was half the receptacle switched or the whole receptacle.
#7
12-21-11, 01:39 PM
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It is conduit... I did not wire the red and black together as they were not together before.... All 5 receptacles are contolled by this one switch. I was talking with my father-in-law and he agreed with the breaking of the tab between the gold screws.
I have not had a chance to go through them all yet, but I did it on the closest recetacle but it did not work and was not sure if they all had to be done for it to work....
I have not had a chance to go through them all yet, but I did it on the closest recetacle but it did not work and was not sure if they all had to be done for it to work....
#8
12-21-11, 03:17 PM
And sometimes the tab doesn't have to be broken. Generally if this was wired half switched and you didn't break the tab the problem would be all plug-ins on all the time.
You need to find which receptacle the switch goes to. I believe your mistake is there. It will probably be the box closest to the switch. If that box has the power source coming into it you have almost certainly found the box where your problem is.
You need to find which receptacle the switch goes to. I believe your mistake is there. It will probably be the box closest to the switch. If that box has the power source coming into it you have almost certainly found the box where your problem is.
