Wiring Switch

Ok, hopefully someone on here can help me. I didn't think this would be so difficult, wrong. I tried to replace two switches in my kitchen with nicer switches. The junction box held two switches, one switch controls an outdoor light, and the other switch controls a ceiling fan with a light. Now the ceiling fan/light is also controlled by another switch in the kitchen. In order for this specific switch to work, the other switch in the kitchen needs to be on the "on" position. Hopefully I haven't lost anyone. Now in the picture you'll see three sets of wiring. For some reason only the black wire of the center strand has power. The only thing I remember when I removed the face plate was there were two white wires wire nutted together, and the switch on the right (which controls fan/lights) had two red wires connected to it (one red went to the upper screw, and the other red to the lower screw of the switch). Anyone have any clue? Obviously I don't. Also, yes the power has been shut off to these wires.

 

Welcome to the forums.

I have to ask..... why did you disconnect wires that weren't connected to the switches ?

It sounds like the fan/light is on a miswired three way circuit. Is the other switch a three way switch ? (it would not have ON and OFF on the handle)

Was the switch you took out for the fan/light a three way switch ? It would have had three wires on it.

 

Yeah I have no clue why I d/c those wires that didn't need undone. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what exactly a 3-way switch is. Both switches are basic on/off switches. I tried to compare the fan/light switch to the other fan/light switch in the kitchen and it's not even wired up the same.

 

A single pole on/off switch has only two connection screws. We don't count the green ground screw.

Did the fan/light switch you took out have two or three screw terminals on it ?

 

Honestly I can't remember (I'm at work) and it had got thrown out...I want to say it had 3. I remember one of the switches having a wire connected at the screw itself, and the other through a back port to the same screw (if that makes any sense).

 

Please remove this "other" switch (do NOT remove any wires) and post a picture or two showing that switch and connections from all sides. This should not be all that hard to figure out.