I'm in Texas, working on a house built in 2004.

I am trying to understand what's wrong with the wiring between a "Combination Two Single Pole Switches" device (a device with two switches on it), the outlet for a dishwasher, and the outlet for a disposal. Currently, the dishwasher outlet always provides power regardless of the switch positions, and the disposal outlet does not provide power regardless of the switch positions.

In the drawing I've attached, the wires are colored as follows:
"Bl" - black
"U" - unsheathed (the bare copper wire)
"W" - white
"R" - red

The four Romex wires involved are labelled A, B, C, and D.

**Please see the photo at** https://s3.amazonaws.com/brewersmold/dwg.jpgreduced.jpg. Some detail has been removed by the upload mechanism in the attachment.

 

You mention a red wire but I do not see a red wire in your diagram. Is there a red wire some where?

 

The only red wire is shown at the top right, coming out of Romex wire "D".

 

I assume D is the incoming power. Where does B go? It looks like a switch leg, perhaps for a light?

How do you want it to work? One switch for disposal, one for dishwasher? Normally dishwasher is not switched.

A picture of the switch from the back would be helpful.

 

So does this come from a double pole breaker? If not and there are no handle tied single pole breaker pull the panel cover and look for 15a or 20a breakers with a red wire. See if there is a breaker next to it (above or below) whose wire goes to the same cable as the red wire.

 

I don't imagine the prior owners did anything with the wiring, and that, if I did break the functionality of the circuit, it's just because I connected the wires back to their devices incorrectly after I replaced two Romexes with torn sheathing. I haven't added devices or wires; I just may have re-connected things incorrectly. I don't imagine we'd need to check the breaker panel. Romex wire B goes off to the wall; I think D does, too, but I'm not at the house at the moment. Maybe the switch for the dishwasher is an Austin or Texas thing, but the apartment I'm renting also has the same setup - a switch for the dishwasher and another for the disposal.

The switch looks like Shop Eaton 2-Switch 15-Amp Single Pole White Indoor Toggle Light Switch at Lowes.com, but it's a Cooper brand device, I think.

Tracing the red wire would involve climbing in the attic, I think.

Thanks for your help, guys!

 

No it wouldn't. I wrote: We need to determine if it is a multiwire circuit. If it is and on two single pole breakers one of the breakers may need to be reset.

 

I hired a handyman to fix it. One Romex had it's white and black inputs swapped. There may have been other problems. He said it appeared to have been repaired by an amateur.

Thanks for your prior input.