Im having a problem with a light switch... the light stays on regardless of the position of the switch. I have swaped the switch out with a new one and still have the same problem. The switch controls to recessed lights over a fireplace.

In the box on the wall there are several wires:
2 white wires that are capped off. Neither gives any voltage reading
2 black wire capped and tied with a lead that goes to the switch. On of the original black wires gives a constant 120v, the other is 0, obviously the lead is giving a constant 120v.
One red wire that gives a constant 120v, this was conncected to the other position on the switch
A ground wire that was connected to the switch

What is more strange is that if I separate all the wires that are capped off together together, take out the switch so that no one wire is touching another, when I flip the breaker back on, the light still goes on!

Please help,

Thank you

Did you change any recepticles? If so may be a tab on hot side of receptacle that needs to be removed.

Is this a new problem, or did it just start happening recently, perhaps after someone did some work on the recessed light fixture? It may be that the wiring in the recessed fixture is hosed up - check to see if there is a black wire up there that is wired to the hot lead of the fixture, instead of the other end of that red wire you mentioned being wired to the fixture as it should be.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jmat1980

Im having a problem with a light switch...the light stays on regardless of the position of the switch. I have swaped the switch out with a new one and still have the same problem. The switch controls to recessed lights over a fireplace.

In the box on the wall there are several wires:
2 white wires that are capped off. Neither gives any voltage reading
2 black wire capped and tied with a lead that goes to the switch. On of the original black wires gives a constant 120v, the other is 0, obviously the lead is giving a constant 120v.
One red wire that gives a constant 120v, this was conncected to the other position on the switch
A ground wire that was connected to the switch

What is more strange is that if I separate all the wires that are capped off together together, take out the switch so that no one wire is touching another, when I flip the breaker back on, the light still goes on!!

Please help,

Thank you

---

It sounds to me like the switch that you THINK controls these lights does not -- but actually controls something else. Have you searched for an additional switch someplace?

The switch used to work, I tried (unsuccesfully) to install a dimmer and when I put the reg. switch back on is when the problems started. The wires up at the fixture have not been messed with at all...

Just reread your original post - you say that you have two leads in the switch box that are constant 120 volt - one of the blacks and the red, correct? Connecting both of these leads to the switch wouldn't do any good at all if they're both permanently hot. Could it be that the red lead was rewired somehow, perhaps at another receptacle? Also, open up the light fixture and tell us what leads are there, and how they're connected.

Also, please confirm that the lihght is on a simple 2-way switch circuit, and not a 3-way.

I simply replaced the light switch that the hot and neutral wires are attached to and it worked fine. Those switches burn out sometime I guess.

carliz777, You do not want to have a hot and neutral connected to a Singlepole switch, Unless you want maybe see if a Breaker will trip, Turn on switch and if the Breaker Trips, the Breaker is good.

With a black and red on the switch, you appear to have a 3 way. Isn't there another switch? Does the switch say ON and OFF or is it blank?