Rewiring a Strange Light Switch Configuration


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Old 01-29-18, 02:21 PM
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Rewiring a Strange Light Switch Configuration

So I have a quick question that I just wanted to get a second answer on before I do something that's just not correct. I've been going through my house and changing out most of the light switches and outlets, which has been going fine until I reached this setup in my kitchen. Obviously, it needs to be cleaned up. The only thing stopping me is the strange wiring. It only has 3 wires coming into the box, two hot wires, and a single neutral wire. To "simplify" things it looks like the original electrician somehow stripped the wire off the middle of the wire, wrapped that around the terminal on the right switch, and then ran the end to the left switch.

So my plan for the neutral wire was to cut it right where it connects to the right switch, and then use a wire nut to add two new wires that will run to my new switches. Would that be the right method to fixing this sort of connection? Thanks.

 
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Old 01-29-18, 02:32 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

In switching applications.... the white is not neutral.

You don't have two hot wires. You have two switched loads(out) with a single hot wire(in). Yes.... you should take and add two tails and have one to each switch. Proper installation is to color the white wire a different color like blue so that it's not mistaken as a neutral.
 
 

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