Basic light/fan switch swap

[Whiskeymike]

I'm swapping out a bed room light and fan switch for zwave switches but run into a problem.

The previous first switch had a wire loop stripped in center and attached to the side bolt of the switch and then has a short run over to second switch and it attached in the push in hole at the same bolt.

When trying to attach the same way to new switch, it seems that if I have the stripped loop around the bolt, the push in hole is closed off and won't accept both push in and the loop. (Bolt not long enough)

What's the right way to connect this?

Picture attached.

 

[Whiskeymike]

From reading elsewhere, it looks like need some bigger wire nuts and pigtail before.

That correct?

Why would two black wires come out of the box into the same post, and then carry on to the second switch?

 

[UltimatE]

That stripped loop is definitely no good. You need to cut that loop, add a pigtail to the Z-Wave switch, and wire nut the four hots together.

 

[ipse_dixit]

Wire 1 or 2 is power in, the other carries power off somewhere. Wire 3 is the other side of the loop? This will need to be a separate wire to bring power to B and you'll need another wire that will connect A with wires 1, 2, and 3 with a wire nut or 4 port connecter.

So you'll end up with 4 hot wires in a wire nut, 2 coming from the back of the box, 2 that terminate at 1 switch each.

Edit: No ground wires? I'm not seeing any bare copper wires.

 

[UltimatE]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170128/a16504872df8bf4e385fa6d521442712.jpg

Wire 1 or 2 is power in, the other carries power off somewhere. Wire 3 is the other side of the loop? This will need to be a separate wire to bring power to B and you'll need another wire that will connect A with wires 1, 2, and 3 with a wire nut or 4 port connecter.

So you'll end up with 4 hot wires in a wire nut, 2 coming from the back of the box, 2 that terminate at 1 switch each.

Edit: No ground wires? I'm not seeing any bare copper wires.

If I'm reading the OP correctly, 1 & 2 are the loop, 3 is a jumper from A to B.

Good catch on the grounds, I don't see any either. Not good.

 

[ipse_dixit]

The previous first switch had a wire loop stripped in center and attached to the side bolt of the switch and then has a short run over to second switch and it attached in the push in hole at the same

The way I'm reading it, one wire comes from the wall -> wraps around the screw at switch A (stripped here) -> pushes into push in connecter at Switch B.

I would hope that this is the line side (carrying power), but would never wire it in this manner.

 

[Whiskeymike]

Yep, brain is starting to work this morning. The second black is carrying it on to another plug. I'm cutting it back, making a pigtail. Just picked up bigger wire nuts for the four to come together.

There were no grounds on the switches, but they are in the box tucked away, so pulling those out and running a pigtail off to the switches.

Thanks guys.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Is grounding a metal box and screwing the metal yoke of the switch to the box an adequate ground? Just curious. I see a lot of switches and outlets that aren't screwed tightly to the box because the depth is wrong, so I assume not.

 

[ipse_dixit]

There should be a wire attached to the switch itself. You can use a wire nut and jumpers going to the switch and box. If the switch doesn't have a ground screw, you might consider updating them.

 

[Whiskeymike]

Thanks guys. Got everything completed. Hardest part was getting the pigtails and wire laid back inside so the switches fit. But now everything is hooked up to echo and the smartthings hub and working well.