I am trying to replace my light switch. It had an older switch and had three screws on it. On these it had black, red, and white attached. My new one had three screws, but one of the screws was for ground. I didn't have any place to put the white wire.
On the top screw I put red and white and on the bottom screw I put black.
It works, but is this correct?
Thank you.
It should work just fine until you find the other mate to that switch. I think you will find that the other switch now does nothing.
3 way switches are to control lights from 2 spots. You now have a single pole switch. If you are ok with just using that switch then it is fine.
In case this isn't a troll-
If it works, and hasn't started a fire, I bet the switch at the other end of the hall or wherever doesn't work anymore. Depending on how it was wired, flipping that switch will either do nothing, or pop the breaker, if you are lucky. A three-screw switch (not counting the green ground screw, not found on older switches), is a 3-way switch. Go back to the home center, and look in the bin next to the one where you found this one. Buy that, and wire it just like the old one was. While there, buy yourself one of the DIY books on home electrical wiring, and look for the chapter on '3 way switch circuits'. In the meantime, don't use the light, and leave that breaker switched off.
aem sends...
Yeah, until someone throws that other switch. Then he'll be wondering why the light quit. Why not just use the proper switch?
Thanks everyone.
If I knew it was not the proper switch I would not have used it. It's wired up and working at the moment with no fire, but now I am paranoid.
Steve Barker wrote:
Thanks. It's working, but at least now I know why it didn't work right when the other switch was flipped. I'll have to go back to HD and get a three way switch. Why would I turn off the breaker though (seems to conflict with the first response is why I ask)?
If you were working on the light itself , and could ensure that all switches are OFF it is safe to work because there is no current at the work location.
On a switch one wire is always live regardless of the switch. So touching the live wire can spoil your day.
In general , when working on any electric switch or outlet , turn OFF the breaker and check that there is no live wire present before touching any wires. (I prefer before removing the cover plate)
If in doubt turn off the main breaker which removes all power from the house.
when the switch is replaced , turn the breaker ON.
If by "do nothing" you mean "trip the breaker" than yes.
No, it's not - when the other switch is flipped the hot will be directly connected to neutral... see recent thread about deliberately shorting circuits to find the controlling breaker to see why this may be a bad idea. I'd replace the switch with a proper 3-way ASAP also find the mate to that switch and verify proper operation.
nate
If you capped the unused wire you have no reason to fear a fire or a shock. You just replaced a 3 way switch with a standard one. No big deal except the other switch will not work. If you did not cap the unused wire, you could have a short in that box if it touches a metal box. Either way, spend the $2 for a 3 way switch and do it right. You may end up trying the wires several different ways on the new switch till they both work properly. Usually the red wire goes to a redish colored (or darkened) screw. White and black to the brass colored ones.
You dont need to turn off the breaker till you do the job. Unless you are a licensed electrician, never work on electricity when the power is ON.
All you had to do was *look* at it to tell it's not the proper switch. Now go take your old switch in to a hardware store and get one *exactly* like it, then wire that one same as the old one was..
You turn the breaker off so you don't electrocute yourself, or start a fire, while you're working on the circuit -- DUH. While you're at HD for the proper switch, do yourself a favor and pick up a book on basic residential electrical wiring, too.
One wire is always live? Even if the breaker (not main) is off?
No -- like he said, one wire is always live regardless of the *switch*. Turning the breaker off will kill it.
Now go get yourself a book on basic residential electrical wiring, or call an electrician. Working on electricity when you don't know what you're doing is dangerous, to yourself and others.
I am aware that the breaker is turned off to fix electrical switches, outlet, lights, etc., while working on the circuit. The message in context, unless I did not understand his response, I thought meant not to leave the switch in the current state, which was 3 wires (red, w, b) on a two way switch, with the breaker on. Instead, the breaker should be turned off until I get a three way switch. This seemed to differ from the first response I received which said that I could leave the breaker on; thus, my question.
It won't trip the breaker. He has both travelers connected to on pole. The electrically causes one switch to be closed in either position. It is a bad way to wire a switch, but not a short circuit hazard.
By now, the op has probably forgotten how the old one was. Should have made a sketch.
Not even then, because someone might have put the switch in the neutral wire, not the hot wire. I found a switch like that once.
In your previous question you implied no breaker was off: " Why would I turn off the breaker though (seems to conflict with the first response is why I ask)?" Why did you ask this if the breaker was off?
BTW, you have to be sure you know which breaker is the one for this circuit. Some people don't want to assume that you know this. The chart on the breaker box rarely lists every outlet and light fixture. So people can't always go by the chart.
I'm curious as to how you check wires for hot without removing the cover plate.
Most (breaker box charts) I've seen weren't filled in at all, except maybe for a few dedicated circuits. Some have the inadequate label of "lights". I try to label mine correctly and completely.
Yeah, that too, because flipping the *other* three-way switch (which anyone could do, at any time) will create a dead short because you mis-wired the first one. Hopefully, the dead short will cause the breaker to trip -- that's the way they're supposed to work, of course, but not always. It's a potentially dangerous situation. Leave it off. Get the right switch. And don't forget that book, either.
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