help with a 110v light switch wiring problem

[sweetk30]

So the other switch in the box is a 3-way?

no 110 outlet .

other side of wall in sun room is 1 of the 2 3ways . the other is in the hall way to the house from sun room .

i am working in a garage with this switch .

 

[sweetk30]

I think the three way is in another room, fed from this box. Looks like the other half of this box is a duplex receptacle to me. I run into this type of thing all the time. I usually get the call from a pissed off wife on Monday morning after her husband spent the entire weekend trying to change a switch or light fixture and took too many wire nuts off. Usually the light is stuck on and the switch shuts everything else off.

The good thing is that since a receptacle is there, and is supposed to be that way, a neutral is present and it should be easy peasy.

fingers crossed on my end .

someone closed this old screened patio and turned it in to a 3 season room . so its got some half janky stuff we have found over the years .

i have a main 200 amp panel in the basement . another in the garage for some garage and some house . and 3rd panel in the 1,800 sqft shop outback . so it has been fun figuring stuff out over the years .

i spent 3 hr's when i moved in doing a panel test to label them all in the shop panel . i have 4 zones of lights / 110volt / 220-30 amp outlets / 220-50 amp outlets / 12-300watt quarts halogen lights in paint bay / 2 speed fan in paint bay . and nothing was labeled .

they trenched the yard for 2" conduit for the 100 amp service . 1" conduit for cable & phone . 1" gas line to feed heater from city gas . . . but no gosh dam water line for even just cold water out here .

 

[sparky 1971]

fingers crossed on my end .

someone closed this old screened patio and turned it in to a 3 season room . so its got some half janky stuff we have found over the years .

i have a main 200 amp panel in the basement . another in the garage for some garage and some house . and 3rd panel in the 1,800 sqft shop outback . so it has been fun figuring stuff out over the years .

i spent 3 hr's when i moved in doing a panel test to label them all in the shop panel . i have 4 zones of lights / 110volt / 220-30 amp outlets / 220-50 amp outlets / 12-300watt quarts halogen lights in paint bay / 2 speed fan in paint bay . and nothing was labeled .

they trenched the yard for 2" conduit for the 100 amp service . 1" conduit for cable & phone . 1" gas line to feed heater from city gas . . . but no gosh dam water line for even just cold water out here .

If everything worked the way it's supposed to before this fiasco, it can work again.

 

[sweetk30]

If everything worked the way it's supposed to before this fiasco, it can work again.

It worked . But i wanted this new switch with idiot light. I keep forgetting to turn off light after i walk from shop to house so when i walk by at night the light will be on and i will remember better .

And come to find out mom pulled both lights off on the cords so thats why sun room lights didnt work . So its still just this weird wiring for this switch only .

 

[PCustoms]

Just to confirm, what does the 3 way switch control?

 

[dave*99]

After 44 posts we only recently learned there is no 3 way switch in this box. That’s in another box fed by this circuit There is a receptacle in the box. We have confirmation there is a switch loop but it might not be true. And we have photos that are too tight to see the connections.

It’s a good thing we love a challenge.

 

[sparky 1971]

It worked . But i wanted this new switch with idiot light. I keep forgetting to turn off light after i walk from shop to house so when i walk by at night the light will be on and i will remember better .

I'm pretty sure everything is there to make the pilot switch work...
Gotta figure what the incoming hot and neutral are, then figure out what will make the outside light come on, whether it's traditional or a switch loop, the rest will fall into place.

 

[sweetk30]

After 44 posts we only recently learned there is no 3 way switch in this box. That’s in another box fed by this circuit There is a receptacle in the box. We have confirmation there is a switch loop but it might not be true. And we have photos that are too tight to see the connections.

It’s a good thing we love a challenge.

I always said the 3way is on the other wall and gets power from this box .

 

[PCustoms]

I always said the 3way is on the other wall and gets power from this box .

Have you said what it controls?

 

[sweetk30]

Have you said what it controls?

Power to 2 ceiling fans with lights .

 

[CJ7VFR]

3 wires on the led dusk to dawn . I put them up my self all 1 unit . White / black / grd . And 2 screws to hold up .

And i was testing by blocking and dusk to dawn comes on but watching little red on new switch still didn't.

I have a question for you.

The light fixture you have is a photocell dusk to dawn unit per your posts.

These types of light fixtures are supposed to have power to them all the time in order to function properly so that the photocell can sense the amount of ambient light outside and automatically turn the light on at dusk and then automatically turn it off at dawn. In a way, these are set it and forget it type light fixtures so that you don't have to remember to turn them on and off via a switch.

My question is this. If the light fixture has power, and the photocell is functioning properly and allowing the light to turn on at dusk and off at dawn, why do you need an indicator light at the switch in the house to tell you if the light is on or off?

If the sun is out the light will be off. If it is dark outside the light will be on. Isn't that enough of an indicator?

If you are turning the light switch on and off for this photocell dusk to dawn light fixture, and messing with its intended functioning, then why have it? Why not just put a regular light fixture up there instead and install a regular light switch at the house so you can control the light fixture via the switch?

If you do that, and you install a regular light fixture, then a regular light switch would accomplish what you want to do. When the regular light switch is flipped up into the "ON" position the light will be on. When the regular light switch is flipped down into the "OFF" position the light will be off.

This would let you know from inside the house if the light is on or off just by the position of the light switch and you would not have to worry about it being left on by mistake.

It just seems to me that you're making this harder than it has to be.

Jim

 

[sweetk30]

I have a question for you.

The light fixture you have is a photocell dusk to dawn unit per your posts.

These types of light fixtures are supposed to have power to them all the time in order to function properly so that the photocell can sense the amount of ambient light outside and automatically turn the light on at dusk and then automatically turn it off at dawn. In a way, these are set it and forget it type light fixtures so that you don't have to remember to turn then on and off via a switch.

My question is this. If the light fixture has power, and the photocell is functioning properly and allowing the light to turn on at dusk and off at dawn, why do you need an indicator light at the switch in the house to tell you if the light is on or off?

If the sun is out the light will be off. If it is dark outside the light will be on. Isn't that enough of an indicator?

If you are turning the light switch on and off for this photocell dusk to dawn light fixture, and messing with its intended functioning, then why have it? Why not just put a regular light fixture up there instead and install a regular light switch at the house so you can control the light fixture via the switch?

If you do that, and you install a regular light fixture, then a regular light switch would accomplish what you want to do. When the regular light switch is flipped up into the "ON" position the light will be on. When the regular light switch is flipped down into the "OFF" position the light will be off.

This would let you know from inside the house if the light is on or off just by the position of the light switch and you would not have to worry about it being left on by mistake.

It just seems to me that you're making this harder than it has to be.

Jim

Valid points . . But i dont want the light on ALL night . Its for my convenience and use . If i want it off i have this option . I do not live in a super crime area and need tons of security light . . Also i do not wish to dump light all night and flood others with unused or unwanted light if its not needed by me .

And if someday i go back to reg non photocell units this switch will already be there and ready .

 

[sweetk30]

My 4k lumen night light for me walking back to house at night . And once i am in i turn it off . . Reason i want the lighted switch .

2nd pic is brighter on phone pic than real .