Small wiring puzzle

Aaron Fude · 2008-05-10T23:15:26+00:00

I'm sure you guys will crack it instantly.I'm replacing a light and the switch that controlled it. I removed theswitch first. The switch connected a black and a white wire that camein the same sheath. The white one was hot. (I know that sometimes thismeans something, but what?)Then when I removed the light I discovered that it, too, had a blackand a white wire connected to it, and the black one is hot. Now thatthe light is disconnected, the black whire is still hot, but the wirethat used to be connected to the switch is now dead.There are no other wires in either electrical box.I'm racking by brain, but can't figure out how everything wasconnected.Many thanks in advance!Aaron

Small wiring puzzle

May 10, 2008 24 Replies

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Cliff Hartle 18 years ago

After I went to bed I think I figured it out.

The power is coming from another box maybe an outlet.

Here is the "path" of the power.

In the power box the black power is connected to the black from the light.

The white from the light is connected to the white from the switch.

The black from the switch is connected to the white in the power box.

In other words as people have said the neutral is being switched.

The reason why he got voltage from the white at the switch was because he was completing the circuit. I guess the internal resistance in the multimeter kept the light from glowing brightly.

Easy enough to fix if you now where the power comes from.

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Aaron Fude 18 years ago

Thanks!

There are a couple of outlets on the same circuit so I'll check it out!

Aaron

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CJT 18 years ago

When you made your determination that the white wire from the switch was hot, was the light socket still connected? If so, you were just measuring the line voltage through the bulb. Done properly, the white wire to a switch should have a black marking to signal that it, too, has the potential (no pun intended) to be hot.

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David Nebenzahl 18 years ago

On 5/11/2008 12:06 AM terry spake thus:

It's a well-known misnomer. It should be called a "2-way" switch, as there are two switches controlling one device.

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Mark Lloyd 18 years ago

The way I heard it, the "ways" of a 3-way switch are the 3 devices that are wired (light and 2 switches).

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