Posted: 4/11/2004 9:45:46 AM EDT
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Here's the situation. We have a light in our garage that turns on with a standard light switch. Though, it seems like it was more of a "heavy duty" type switch. It seemed to "click" more positively than our interior light switches. A few weeks ago I noticed that the "click" was becoming less positive. Sometimes, I'd have to jiggle the switch a little after turning it on before the light would come on. Finally, it lost all of it's "click" and the light wouldn't turn on anymore. A simple fix, I thought. I bought a new light switch that also has a more positive click, and installed it. I also bought an electrical current tester. Current was flowing on both wires with the old switch in place. I killed the power to that switch at the box in the basement and installed the new switch. After turning the power back on, I tested the current around the new switch and it was good to go. But flipping the new switch didn't turn the light on.... I thought I might have installed the switch the wrong way, so I took it out, flipped it over and switched the wires. Still no light.... Does anyone have any ideas? (And yes, I did try a new light bulb.  )Thanks, Corey |
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Quoted: Does the light operate from only 1 switch (1 location) and were there only 2 wires going to the old switch? If the answer is no to either of these questions, you need a 3-way switch instead of a regular switch. It has 3 terminals, 1-hot, 1-neutral, 1-common. Yes. It is one light operated from one switch. The old switch has two wires going to it. The new switch has two wires (total) and an extra ground (which the old one did not). I did not attach anything to the ground screw as there was nothing to attach. Ours must be ground in the box, the guy in the hardware store said. Thanks, Corey |
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Okay. Turns out the hardware store guy sold me the wrong type of switch (I think). What I thought was a "ground" actually now appears to be another connector. The ground is a little screw attached to the body of the switch. The switch I bought is a 3-way switch. It has two copper colored connectors and a third black connector. Is there any way to use this for my need? Thanks, Corey |
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Quoted: .... be careful taking electrical advice on the internet , btw ;) Roger that. [:D] AR15.com actually helped me intall new lamp light bulb sockets about a year ago. And do plumbing, etc. etc. etc. AR15.com is a goldmine of information, due mainly to our incredibly diverse professional backgrounds. |
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A "3 way" switch is more expensive than a standard. If you can't easily exchange it for a regular switch, it can be used instead of one. It has three connectors (ignoring the ground for now). You need to use two of them. The trick is, which two. You guessed wrong on the first try. Sounds like you have the switch out. Good. A little trial and error with an ohmmeter / continuity checker will tell you which two to use. If you hadn't already thrown away the instructions (which is what I would have done) they might give you insight. The "ground" connector should be painted green and perhaps be a different shape. Go ahead and ground the switch when you install. |
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If a three-way switch. Simple solution. You need to find the common connector. This will be the one that has continuty to either one or the other of the other connectors by flipping the switch. Once you find out which is the common connector. Attach the black wire from your breaker to it. Then attach the black wire from your light bulb socket to any of the other two connectors. Your light should then work. |
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Quoted: Okay. Turns out the hardware store guy sold me the wrong type of switch (I think). What I thought was a "ground" actually now appears to be another connector. The ground is a little screw attached to the body of the switch. The switch I bought is a 3-way switch. It has two copper colored connectors and a third black connector. Is there any way to use this for my need? Thanks, Corey Folks: Just for future reference, you CAN use a 3-way switch in place of a regular (or 2-way) switch. It is perfectly safe and if you ever find yourself in need of a switch and all you have is a 3-way it might be handy to know. The black terminal is called the "common" terminal, and you just attach one wire to it and the other wire to either copper colored (traveler) terminal. When the switch is flipped one way, a connection is made between one "traveler" terminal to the common terminal. When the switch is flipped the other way, a connection is made between the other "traveler" terminal and the common terminal. Voila! The light goes on and off. Corey, sorry I was too late to help. Trying to work today while I surf AR15.com. [:(] |
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Everyone -- thanks for the advice! I ended up finding Home Depot open and spent $0.51 on a two way switch. It's installed and working just fine. I take it because all the switch is doing is completing the connection, it doesn't matter which wire goes on which connector, right? (Our wires are not color coded.) Thanks again. I learned a lot! Corey |