2 black 1 red wire in weird configuration
#1
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2 black 1 red wire in weird configuration
Hi guys, please help me out with this one.
I’m replacing all my switches on my new home and couldn’t solve this one. It has two black wires coming from different cables put together on a pigtail, one additional black wire from a third cable and one red wire, coming from this same third cable. I tried to put them as a 2-way switch (both loose black tips on one side and the red on the other) and the circuit breaker trips. I then looked what happened if I would let all of them loose and two lights from nearby rooms do not switch on. This is the only place on the house I’ve found a red wire so far. The house is around 30 years old and it seems switches have never been touched before.
Thanks!

I’m replacing all my switches on my new home and couldn’t solve this one. It has two black wires coming from different cables put together on a pigtail, one additional black wire from a third cable and one red wire, coming from this same third cable. I tried to put them as a 2-way switch (both loose black tips on one side and the red on the other) and the circuit breaker trips. I then looked what happened if I would let all of them loose and two lights from nearby rooms do not switch on. This is the only place on the house I’ve found a red wire so far. The house is around 30 years old and it seems switches have never been touched before.
Thanks!

Last edited by PJmax; 09-18-18 at 03:59 PM. Reason: cropped/reoriented/enhanced picture
#3
Welcome to the forums.
That means black is hot and red is a load.
You have a single black and a pair of blacks. Which black showed hot to ground ?
Did you take a single pole switch out of there ?
That means black is hot and red is a load.
You have a single black and a pair of blacks. Which black showed hot to ground ?
Did you take a single pole switch out of there ?