I am hoping that someone can help. I had the brilliant idea of changing all of my outlets and light switches in my living room and have somehow created a mess. First, I replaced all the outlets and everything worked fine, then I started on the light switches. At the hallway entering the living room I have switches there that controls dimming ceiling lights, overhead living room lights, and the bottom of EVERY outlet in the living room. In the living room I have four outlets that control 1) The bottom of every outlet as well 2) The Overhead living room lights as well 3) A ceiling fan 4) The outside light.

Round one, ceiling fan (which I did not touch) dimming lights (which I did not touch) and outside lights (which I did replace) worked. The one that controls the bottom outlets and the overhead lights did not work. I googled it and read that I needed to break the tab on the outlets which could be a possible cause to what was going on. So, I went back, broke all the tabs and tried again. This solved the problem of the outlet switch so everything is working properly except my overhead lights. They will not come on at all.

Now, of the two overhead light switches that I had, I only replaced one of them (the other I never touched!). I was VERY careful not to mix up the whole three wires but now nothing works. Yes, I say three because for some reason that one is not grounded (I am still using the switch that contains the four screws)... it wasn't before and still isn’t. Well, when it did not work, I put on the old switch and yet it still will not work.

I thought maybe I did mix up those three wires so I tried it a different way but still nothing... (those wires are red, black, and white if that is relevant). Now I don't know….. All I do know is that my hubby is none pleased with my brilliant adventure and that I now have seriously messed it up. Any help/insight you could provide me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I edited your question so it has paragraphs to make it easier to read.


Since you state black, red, and white wires at one switch, I will assume this is what is called a 3 way switch, used when there are two switches for for light.

I assume switches with 4 terminals means one screw is green?

On the 3 way switch there is a terminal labeled common, and the screw is a different color than the other two screws. This is the important terminal that only one of the 3 wires must connect to. There is no code as to which wire must be common, can be any of the three, usually if wired by an electrician would be the black wire, not necessarily.

I added a wiring diagram showing how three way switches can be connected, with a third switch that is called a four way, eliminate if not needed from the diagram, can simply cover it and assume it is not there.

The other two wires can connect to either of the other screws.

Something else that concerns me is the quality of the connections on all the devices you changed. Are all the black wires on the brass screws and the whites on all the silver screws on receptacles? Are all the connections done properly, wrapped clockwise around the screws, and are all the connections tight?

One other concern is that the wiring all copper, or is any silver colored, this would be aluminum. For any other readers, if aluminum wire is found special connections and/or devices must be used.

If my explanation does not help, get back with pictures of what you have.