Three way switch issue...


  #1  
Old 08-07-08, 11:46 AM
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Three way switch issue...

Just moved into our first house a week ago. Wanted to replace light switch in garage with motion sensor switch. After I turned off breaker, I removed existing switch to find five wires connected...
3 black
1 white
and ground

Turns out this was a three way switch with other switch by garadge door. I was able to get the motion sensor to work for light using one black & one white wire, but now I lost my kitchen recessed lighting. ? I'm sure this has something to do with two remaining black wires (now dangling), but I can't seem to find any schematic to match layout.

BTW... Other switch still works to turn off light. ? Don't need it, but it works.

This is the first time i've done anything like this, so any advice would be appreciated. thx
Nolan
 
  #2  
Old 08-08-08, 07:08 AM
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OK, what has happened is that a hot feed to other parts of the house has become disconnected when you removed the old switch.

Are you sure that this was a 3 way switch?

To get started to repair this you will need to figure out which wire goes where. You will need to identify the hot feed to this box, which pair of wires feeds power to the kitchen lights etc.

Most likely what happened was that the constant hot and the feed for the kitchen lights were effectively spliced using the old switch.

If you post back more help can get you through this.
 
 

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