I need residential electrical help please!

Forums: Home Improvement, Electrical, Outlets, Light Switches
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I was updating all of my outlets and light switches in my house. The home was built in 1950. I came to this one light switch in my hallway which only works on 1 light fixture. I changed it and it works but every other outlet and light switch on that whole side of the house doesn't work. I also tried a 3 way switch which didn't work.

Their is 4 wires in the box but two are connected to each other to make 2 wires. I'm not sure if that means anything.

Any help would be great, thanks!I am going to call an electrician but if the problem is minimal I would like to try to fix it myself. I've changed thousands of light fixtures, outlets, and switches before and never ran into this problem before.

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@Awfulwaffle,

Quote:

Their is 4 wires in the box but two are connected to each other to make 2 wires.

Wouldn't that make 3

I wish I could help you Waf but in the process of installing the switch it sounds very much like you made a wiring error of some sort

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2 wires connected to make 1 wire and the other 2 wires are connected to make another wire which is where the 2 came from.

All I did was connect the old wires to a new switch and the light fixture works but all the other lights on that end of the house do not.

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@Awfulwaffle,

Okay Waf but how many wires connect to this switch

Had you done anything at all with the two spliced together, and are you sure they're still firmly spliced

To gain access to the switch did you find it necessary to disturb any other connections

Are you sure in the process of switch replacement you didn't somehow inadvertently trip a breaker. Many a "modern" breaker looks on when it's really off; while throwing it to "off" then back to "on" doesn't always reset it

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@Awfulwaffle,

Quote:

I was updating all of my outlets and light switches in my house. The home was built in 1950. I came to this one light switch in my hallway which only works on 1 light fixture. I changed it and it works but every other outlet and light switch on that whole side of the house doesn't work. I also tried a 3 way switch which didn't work.

A 3 way wouldn't help you at all.

Quote:

Their is 4 wires in the box but two are connected to each other to make 2 wires. I'm not sure if that means anything.

What was in the box originally? What color were they? How many complete Romex wires come into that junction box?

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@Awfulwaffle,

Hello. Okay, here is a possibility. At one point there may have been another light switch involved, so you may be dealing with a 3 way switch. With that said, open your box and determine, separate your wires, and determine which one(s) are hot. Remember, this box may be getting fed from more than one circuit and had been useda as a junction box. To me, what I would do is to connect the hot wire to one of the other wires and see what it powers, I suspect the box was used not only for your light, but also your receptacles. Do this for each wire. When done, you will know what wires need to be connected in order to have your receptacles working. I suspect in changing out the switch a wire end broke off or something of that nature. The switch you removed was it a 3 way?

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@shadowsdad,

OT but Shadow clearly you know something about appliances and so I wonder if you'd ponder this one

http://able2know.org/topic/225337-1

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@Awfulwaffle,

I guess the switch outlet is faulty. Call an electrician.

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I need residential electrical help please!

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