Archived Thread

NFT: BBI Electricians HELP

LAGiant : 2/9/2017 12:31 pm

Thank you up front for the help.

So yesterday I went to wire chandelier in our home. What I discovered after removing the cover plate is that there are two switches on the wall for the same location. One is a simple rocker and the other is a rocker with a dimmer. There was a hot black wire for the simple rocker, a hot red wire for the rocker with dimmer, a white wire, and a wire with no cover.

The chandelier only has two wires. I wanted to use the dimmer but was unable to make it work. I tried the combination of red and white and that tripped the breaker. I tried the red and ground but the light flickered when the switch was off. I ended up using the simple rocker with the black and white and it worked.

What did I do wrong? Any help is greatly appreciated as I'm wiring another room today with the same setup.

Sounds like a three way switch

jcn56 : 2/9/2017 12:35 pm : link

there's a travel wire between the two switches that allows you to flip state. Here's a diagram to help you troubleshoot.

Remember not to work on live circuits, cut the breaker so that you can free up whatever wires you might need to measure.

Forgot the diagram

jcn56 : 2/9/2017 12:35 pm : link

What wires

Jim in Fairfax : 2/9/2017 12:47 pm : link

Do you have in the ceiling box you are wiring the light to?

You should have someone

pjcas18 : 2/9/2017 12:52 pm : link

videotape this on their phone so we can catch the exact moment your house fire starts or you get electrocuted on youtube. Maybe periscope it.

Ceiling Wires

LAGiant : 2/9/2017 1:05 pm : link

OK that diagram kind of helps but makes me think my issue in the wall and not the ceiling. I still don't understand why the light flickers when both switches are off.

PJacs- funny and I'll have the wife record it for you.

Jim - there are 4 wires in the ceiling j-box. Hot black that is turned on and off via the simple rocker, hot red via the dimmer, white (common?) and a bare wire (ground?).

What wires do I need to connect to the light to use the day dimmer?

No offense but if you don't have the tools or expertise to establish

Patrick77 : 2/9/2017 1:34 pm : link

Definitively that the bare wire is the ground wire I think you should just call a professional. What you are trying to do should be relatively simple.

do not connect the black

oghwga : 2/9/2017 1:52 pm : link

or the red to the bare wire. That is job one.

Describe every wire in every location and maybe with that information we can give you a little help.

A voltmeter would help you greatly.

Call an electrician

trueblueinpw : 2/9/2017 1:53 pm : link

Like Pat says, no offense, but from the way you posted it sounds like you're a bit new to this sort of thing. The scheme you used worked because the white is neutral and the black is hot in your simple switch circuit but it sounds like you didn't ground the fixture and that's dangerous. What did you do with the red wire and the ground in the J box? Or in the rheostat box? I like doing my own projects around the house but it's important to know when to call in the pros too.

Thanks Guys!

LAGiant : 2/9/2017 3:38 pm : link

I'm usually pretty handy around the house and like to do most of the jobs myself but maybe an electrician is required.

YAJ2112 : 2/9/2017 3:38 pm : link

If both switches are at the same outlet

Ron Johnson 30 : 2/9/2017 4:51 pm : link

One is for a fan. It's probably a 3 way. It's a very simple job either way

I read it again

Ron Johnson 30 : 2/9/2017 4:54 pm : link

It's a 3 way with a dimmer. It's very common and easy to install. Google install 3 way switch.

for what it's worth Peter in Atlanta sent us an email

gidiefor : Mod : 2/9/2017 9:44 pm : link

saying that jcn's diagram is for a chandelier and not a ceiling fan - he forwarded the following link which diagrams the wiring for a ceiling fan.
Link - ( New Window )

RE: for what it's worth Peter in Atlanta sent us an email

pjcas18 : 2/9/2017 9:50 pm : link

In comment 13355985 gidiefor said:

Quote:

saying that jcn's diagram is for a chandelier and not a ceiling fan - he forwarded the following link which diagrams the wiring for a ceiling fan. Link - ( New Window )

gidie, if you see this can you ask Peter to email the links to his youtube videos on smoking? I can't find them on youtube (if they're still there) and I have a friend who just got a smoker and he's looking for beginner advice and when I got mine I found Peter's advice invaluable when I started - my email is pjcas18@aol.com or you can post a link on here. Thanks.

sorry - he corrects me

gidiefor : Mod : 2/9/2017 9:55 pm : link

he meant LAGiant's box is wired for a ceiling fan and not a chandelier

he made no reference to jcn -- : )

RE: sorry - he corrects me

pjcas18 : 2/9/2017 10:13 pm : link

In comment 13355996 gidiefor said:

Quote:

he meant LAGiant's box is wired for a ceiling fan and not a chandelier

he made no reference to jcn -- : )

Exactly this. Peter emailed me about his youtube videos and wanted to make sure you know:

Quote:

Tell LAGiant that his box is wired for a ceiling fan. That's why there's a toggle switch and a dimmer on the wall.

Yup, that's a mistake on my part

jcn56 : 2/9/2017 10:26 pm : link

I missed the 'same' part in the OP, I mistook the description for two switches in different locations.

I've run into electrical circuits that didn't make sense ....

Manny in CA : 2/11/2017 9:29 pm : link

A couple of times, Ive seen two different phases coming into the SAME box; one time I got zapped working a three-way because in the original install they made the white wire not neutral but hot.

When I suspect that I do the wise thing, give up and call an electrician.