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View Full Version : Replaced two electrical switches, now two outlets flash, work shortly or not at all


abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 06:35 PM
In one receptacle box, I replaced the 3 way switch for the porch with a 15v 120w switch, I replaced the one next to it with a dimmer switch for the entryway light.
From there, there are two outlets that run off that, there wasn't a probably until about 3 days later when the switches still worked but the optwo outlets stopped working.
Every now and then they will flash and flicker and possibly turn back on for a night then turn off early the next evening.

Still, the outside 3 way switch and the entry dimmer switch still work nicely. So I figured there was a loose connection, I took off the outlet covers for the outlets themselves and the switches I installed.
The outlets look to have a good connection with each outlet having two black wires and two white wires.

The switches, the three way outside switch has two black wires, one white connected, while an additional white wire is connected to two other white wires wired together with a wire connector screw.
The entry dimmer switch has one red wire and two blacks tat are connected to it, while there are two white loose wires that are twisted together with the above mentioned white wire with the wire connection screw.

Is that white wire causing the problem?
If so, how should I connect it, as it was connected before and there really isn't a different of switches that I replaced, since I replaced a 3 way with a 3 way and a regular switch with a dimmer.

gcotton1
Apr 12, 2012, 07:16 PM
Just make sure yout neutrals are all tied in. To me it sounds like maybe you got your receptacle wired in series with your dimmer.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 07:21 PM
I am unsure on what you mean by that

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 07:31 PM
The entry dimmer switch has one red wire and two blacks tat are connected to it
That sounds like a 3-way dimmer. A regular dimmer will only have two wires or terminals.

Sounds like you have one 3-wire cable and three 2-wire cables in the switch box.

The 3-wire cable is used between the two 3-way switches for the porch light. One of the 2-wire cables is bring power to the box. One is taking power to the outlets and the other is taking power to the entry way light (through the switch). The white wires of these are the neutrals and are all connected together. The black of the cable bringing power to the box should be connected to both the black going to the outlets and to the dimmer switch. The other black going to the entry way light should be connected to the dimmer switch. Unless there is another 3-way switch controlling the entry way light, the dimmer should be a regular dimmer with two wires or terminals. You don't have enough wires for it to be a 3-way.

Not sure what lights are flashing, flickering, turning on and off. If it is the entry way light, could it be that the dimmer you installed is a photo cell switch. Sort of sounds like it.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 07:35 PM
The lights that are dimming are actually the regular receptacles outlets, since I had lamps plugged Into them.

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 07:39 PM
How did you connect the dimmer switch?

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 07:43 PM
THe dimmer switch itself is actually a 3 way switch but I am not using it like that, only as a regular dimmer.

I tried plenty other ways to connect the dimmer, at the moment it is.. looking at it from the back... the ground is obviously grounded(upper right)... the red wire is connected to the bottom right... I have two black wires connected to the upper left... which the bottom left is suppose to only be used if I have hooking it up as a 3 way... so nothing is hooked up there

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 07:54 PM
I am assuming when you say red and two blacks you are talking about wires that are part of the switch and not house wiring.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 07:57 PM
The switch has no wires, only screws, all the wires are housing.

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 08:00 PM
OK. I'm confused. Thought you had one 3-wire cable and three 2-wire cables in the box.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 08:07 PM
All wires are housing, the dimmer switch is pass & seymour 340875. If you'd like to look it u although the house wiring is we're the problem is.

There are two switch in the box, on the left there is a brand new 3 way flip switch to porch light, also hooked up to garage switch to make it a 3 way... black and white wire coming out far left(housing), next over is another black and another white wire coming out... then there is the dimmer switch next to it, which the housing wiring is like this... far right, there's a black wire and white wire coming out, next over to the left there is three wires coming out, black, a white and a red one.

All the white wires BESIDES the far left one are twisted together. At the moment the far left one is hooked up to the 3 way regular porch switch.

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 08:20 PM
So yo do have one 3-wire cable and three 2-wire cables.

You replaced the porch 3-way, wiring the new the same as the old. If the old 3-way switch had a white wire connected to it, that white wire would have been part of the 3-wire cable between the two 3-way switches. Could you have gotten white wires mixed up. The 3-wire cable is part of the porch light wiring, not part of the interior wiring.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 08:28 PM
That white wire is connected to the 3 wire switch forth porch...

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 08:44 PM
If the white wire in the 3-wire cable is connected to the 3-way switch as with the original all is fine there. That white wire should have a piece of black tape on it to designate it as a hot and not a neutral. Code requirement.

All other whites should be connected together with a wire nut. The 3-way dimmer should have one screw that is black or brass. The other two should be silver colored. The darker colored screw (black or brass) is the common. The lighter colored screws (silver) are the travelers.

As previously stated, one of the blacks in a 2-wire cable is the hot. One black in a 2-wire cable goes to the outlet. They should be connected together and connected to the common (black or brass) of the dimmer switch. The other black goes to the light and should be connected to one of the traveler screws (silver). Doesn't matter which one.

Are the wires in the outlets connected to screws or are they connected using the quick connect holes in the back?

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 08:47 PM
They are connected by screws

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 08:54 PM
So saying that the 3 way switch is correct, which I believe it is...

The dimmer switch, there are a total of 3 wires left, two black and one red, before we started talking the setup is that the two black wires are connected to the black/ darker colored screw, which the red wire is connected to a golden color screw ( there is also another golden colored screw with a piece of tape over it for use of a three way).

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 08:59 PM
OK. Reason for asking is that the quick connects are notorious for developing bad connections over time.

If dimmer switch is wired as described, every thing should work. The dimmer is not really part of the wiring for the outlets. You questioned if the neutrals (whites) which are wire nutted together could cause the flickering. Yes it could, but you should be able to see if the wires are twisted together for good contact. One would also think a poor connection there would cause the entry light to also flicker.

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 09:04 PM
two black and one red, before we started talking the setup is that the two black wires are connected to the black/ darker colored screw, which the red wire is connected to a golden color screw

You are confusing me again. The 3-wire cable with the red wire is part of the porch switch circuit. Not connected to the dimmer.

After wiring the 3-way for the porch and connecting the neutrals there should be 3 wires left, all black.

(OK, the common is black and travelers are brass)

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 09:05 PM
Only the outlets lamps flicker, actually at the moment won't even turn on.
The entry light works find even when the outlet lamps start to stop working.

Shouldn't be a problem with the power or wattage of the switches?
The 3 way switch says to only use with 15a 120v.
I installed the 75w dimmers throughout the house with no problem elsewhere.

A decribrin on how the outlets stopped working tonight... turn the lamp on to the outlet, light turn on, flickered, then turned off, messed with the switch a little, still nothing or the outlets were working.
Stopped working on it for about 3 minutes, all of a sudden the lamp turned on and stayed on for a good 3 minute, until I turned on the lamp that was connected to the next outlet (which is also internally connected to that same outlet).
When I turned on the second lamp both flicked and when dead. Seemed like I was drawing too much power.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 09:10 PM
The red wire isn't associated to the outside porch, it is for the interior entry if anything.

The housing looks like this...

Black, white. Black, WHITE. Black, WHITE, red. Black, WHITE

The Capitol whites ad all connected together.
The first white and 2 blacks are connected to the porch 3 way switch

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 09:19 PM
Stating the sequence of the wires doesn't help. The electrician would have simple put the cables in the first hole available in the box.

If you, as I believe you have said, have a 3-way switch in the house and a 3-way switch in the garage, that turns the porch light on and off, there must be a 3-wire cable (black, white, red wires) between the two switches. Since you only have one 3-wire cable that cable must be between the two switches. Therefore, part of the porch switching. Not part of the entry way light and outlets.

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 09:24 PM
So even though the 3 way switch that turns on the porch light is working flawlessly with the garage switch to turn the porch light on and off,the area where the black white and red wires come out could be for the porch light instead of the entry light?

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 09:29 PM
It's getting late over by me, so I'm going to sign off, I will try that one with the red wire tomorrow and keep you posted

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 09:31 PM
Yes it could be working but I'd have to think a while to figure out a combination that would make it work.

I know you said it, but its important, so I'll ask again to make sure.
The old 3-way switch for the porch had a white wire connected to it, correct?

abiehl88
Apr 12, 2012, 09:33 PM
Yes

hkstroud
Apr 12, 2012, 09:34 PM
Then no other way to connect everything other than what I have described.