I recently purchased a new home, I have track lighting in the kitchen controlled by a dimmer switch. Well last week first light on the track stopped working, tried replacing bulb still inop, then a day later all lights were working intermittently, figured dimmer switch was failing. Removed dimmer switch, found the green ground from old switch wasn't even connected, just two black wires. I tried installing new dimmer switch using ground and not using ground and lights never worked. Can't figure it out, I also have a dimmer switch on the other side of the
kitchen that doesn't do anything but does have wires running to it. I'm thinking this dimmer may be wired to kitchen track lights?? How do I tell?

 

Welcome to the forums.

New house = many switches = many headaches.

Take the dimmer out of the lone and use a regular switch to test or don't even use a switch and temporarily connect the wires with a wirenut and see if the lights work.

A test meter is a good thing to have in an application like this. Places like depot have a decent basic analog test meter for around $15.

 

as far as finding out what the other switch does, can I just measure continuity from switch to bulb receptacle

 

Is that other switch controlling an exhaust fan?

 

Try removing the heads from the track and reposition them slightly to be sure they are making good contact in the track,how old is this new house?
Geo

 

No exhaust fan close to the switches. The house was built in the 40's. I've never worked with house electrical besides replacing switches but I have a lot of experience with auto wiring, the terminology is just way different

 

My house was build in the 1940s. I found switches controlling lights in other rooms and the switch controlling a light in the room at one door to the room, with no switch at the other door.