Trouble wiring light switch
#1
06-24-19, 09:12 PM
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Trouble wiring light switch
I pressed the light switch in our room, the light went on briefly and went out. I assumed it was a blown bulb, but changing bulbs didn't fix it.
I've tried changing the light switch, but now the adjoining bathroom light and fan do not work, nor did the new light switch fix the original issue.
Here is a picture of how the light switch was wired originally.
Any ideas how to fix this?
I've tried changing the light switch, but now the adjoining bathroom light and fan do not work, nor did the new light switch fix the original issue.
Here is a picture of how the light switch was wired originally.
Any ideas how to fix this?
Last edited by PJmax; 06-24-19 at 09:31 PM. Reason: resized pictures
#2
06-24-19, 09:27 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
You had a lazy man device connection there.
That's both screw terminals used and one push-in or visa versa.
You have three wires there. One is hot in, one is hot out and one is the light.
The hot in and out get connected together along with a short piece of wire (tail) to one screw and the remaining wire (light) goes to the other screw.
Touching the wires to each other you can find which is which. You could use a meter or tester to find the hot in wire and then attach it to each one of the black wires to see what becomes live.
Do you remember which two black wires were at one end of the switch ?
You had a lazy man device connection there.
That's both screw terminals used and one push-in or visa versa.
You have three wires there. One is hot in, one is hot out and one is the light.
The hot in and out get connected together along with a short piece of wire (tail) to one screw and the remaining wire (light) goes to the other screw.
Touching the wires to each other you can find which is which. You could use a meter or tester to find the hot in wire and then attach it to each one of the black wires to see what becomes live.
Do you remember which two black wires were at one end of the switch ?
#3
06-25-19, 07:04 PM
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Thank you for reaching out.
I believe one black wire was connected to the screw on the left and the other two were inserted in the "quickwire" ports.
I believe one black wire was connected to the screw on the left and the other two were inserted in the "quickwire" ports.
#4
06-30-19, 03:37 AM
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Ok, so I got my new switch installed and my new dilemma is that it controls the room next door along with the next door room's light switch. It doesn't control the room that it's installed in. What can I do to correct this?
Last edited by PJmax; 06-30-19 at 11:41 AM. Reason: picked and resized one picture
#5
06-30-19, 04:55 AM
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Hi, do you have a volt meter? Find the conductor that is HOT all the time, touch one of the remaining conductors to it ,one at a time, which ever one turns the light on will go to one terminal on the switch, the other one will connect to the HOT conductor and to the other terminal on the switch, usually best to use a short pigtail to connect to the switch screw terminal.
Geo
Geo
#6
06-30-19, 10:25 AM
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I have a volt meter and a non-contact voltage tester. The non-contact voltage tester shows two wires green and one red. Is the red the hot wire?
#7
06-30-19, 10:28 AM
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"Hi, do you have a volt meter? Find the conductor that is HOT all the time, touch one of the remaining conductors to it ,one at a time, which ever one turns the light on will go to one terminal on the switch, the other one will connect to the HOT conductor and to the other terminal on the switch, usually best to use a short pigtail to connect to the switch screw terminal.
Geo"
Do you have a picture of this I can reference?
Geo"
Do you have a picture of this I can reference?
#8
06-30-19, 10:47 AM
Group Moderator
This is very simple. No diagram needed. You have three wires. One is the hot wire in. One is the hot wire out to the other room and the last wire is the light.
Find the hot wire and label it. Now connect it with either of the other two black wires. What comes on.... the light or the other room ? Label that wire.
Your picture is showing a hot all by itself on one screw and two load travelers on the other. That means both are switched. Only the light wire stays by itself. There should be a hot and a load traveler together. One of your "traveler" wires should be labeled light.
Find the hot wire and label it. Now connect it with either of the other two black wires. What comes on.... the light or the other room ? Label that wire.
Your picture is showing a hot all by itself on one screw and two load travelers on the other. That means both are switched. Only the light wire stays by itself. There should be a hot and a load traveler together. One of your "traveler" wires should be labeled light.
#9
06-30-19, 10:51 AM
Member
Forget the non-contact tester, take one lead from the meter and touch the bundle of white conductors (neutrals) take the other meter lead and touch the Black conductors one at a time, keep the one that is HOT aside, take one of the remaining blacks and touch the HOT one , did the light come on? if not try the other one, the conductor that turned the light on will go to one screw on the switch, the 2 remaining blacks will go to the remaining screw on the switch, best to pigtail those 2 blacks so as to have only one conductor on the switch terminal screw.
Geo
Geo
#10
06-30-19, 11:09 AM
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These two together turn the light on in the next room but not in the room in subject... Shouldn't it turn on the light in tge room it's in as well?
#12
06-30-19, 11:19 AM
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#14
06-30-19, 11:32 AM
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Ok, i have the hot and bathroom light wire hooked to black terminal and "light" wire hooked to the red terminal. Bathroom light (room next door) works but still no light in the subject room.
I am replacing the switch as I thought the old one went out, but could it be that the light fixture in the subject room has gone out?
Yes its a Leviton IPS02 occupancy switch.
I'd post a pic but it says my attachments have reached the limit.
I am replacing the switch as I thought the old one went out, but could it be that the light fixture in the subject room has gone out?
Yes its a Leviton IPS02 occupancy switch.
I'd post a pic but it says my attachments have reached the limit.
#15
06-30-19, 11:45 AM
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Read the instructions. It says the hot wire goes on the BLACK terminal and the light goes on the RED terminal. You will end up with two wires on the black terminal.
I removed the un-needed pics from your post. Saved one good one and resized it. You only have 10mb of picture storage. You posted 12mb in pictures. If you are going to be postings a lot of pictures..... look into a picture program for resizing them.
I removed the un-needed pics from your post. Saved one good one and resized it. You only have 10mb of picture storage. You posted 12mb in pictures. If you are going to be postings a lot of pictures..... look into a picture program for resizing them.
#16
06-30-19, 01:05 PM
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Thank you I sincerely appreciate it. That's how I now have it wired, bathroom light now works properly on its own but still no joy on the subject room light.
Could the light fixture itself possibly what went out? All light sockets are working and my volt meter shows power to the bulb socket.
Could the light fixture itself possibly what went out? All light sockets are working and my volt meter shows power to the bulb socket.
#17
06-30-19, 01:12 PM
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" I pressed the light switch and the lights went on and then off".
Since you changed the type of switch you added another unknown into the mix.
If your meter shows power between the pin and the shell of the light sockets.... then the socket/bulb may have a problem. However..... with a "sensor" type switch in line...... you may measure line voltage there but it's not enough to make the bulb come on. One easy thing to try is to bypass the sensor switch and try the light again. Get the light working without using the sensor first.
Since you changed the type of switch you added another unknown into the mix.
If your meter shows power between the pin and the shell of the light sockets.... then the socket/bulb may have a problem. However..... with a "sensor" type switch in line...... you may measure line voltage there but it's not enough to make the bulb come on. One easy thing to try is to bypass the sensor switch and try the light again. Get the light working without using the sensor first.
#18
06-30-19, 08:08 PM
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I appreciate the advice. Shouldn't the light have come on tho when I touched the hot wire and light wire together manually... Eliminating the switch as the fault?
#19
06-30-19, 08:12 PM
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