# Solved: Wall Socket and Switch



## dawsonjj (Sep 4, 2011)

Mr. Tech Guy.If you have any ideas concerning my situation, I would appreciate help. I changed out a wall socket. It has a wall switch which turns the power on and off. There are 3 wires. 2 White and 1 Red. I inserted an elecrical tester into the socket and it shows correct. However power stays on and after changing out the socket I no longer have Ceiling lights which did not work off of the switch. It had its own pull chains for lights and fan. Also some kitchen sockets and kitchen ceiling light has quit working. I have checked all circuit breakers and have reset them all. When I turn off the light switch to the socket I notice a slight dimming of the electrical test led lights. I have not touch the light switch at all, since I was simply changing out the wall socket. The other tester I have shows the power coming from the 2 white wires. This seems a bit complicated to me, since I don't see the connection to the other lights and sockets. Thank you for reviewing this. Jim


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## wowzer (Dec 28, 2009)

wild goose guess here with all the things that have changed.

You have messed something up, the three wires you say would indicate a three way switch, one of the white should have been taped black.

Is this in fact one end of a three way switch? Did you mark/draw a simple sketch of the wiring hookup before you took the recepticle before out?

Why all the other funky stuff is going on, heaven only knows without being there.

another thought... check the old recepticle to see if it has the tab/tabs between the two sockets removed.


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## dawsonjj (Sep 4, 2011)

Wowzer,

Thank you for replying. I broke the link on the gold screw side which then allowed me to have one socket working with the light switch. It's not a 3 way switch, just a simple on and off. Whoever wired it has left two black wires with a wire nut on it. After turning off my circuit breaker I tested the two black wires and they were hot. They are not connected to the socket at all, but the red wire coming from the same line is connected to the socket. Of course the white wires are not marked. They are a separate feed. The two have power when the circuit is on. In braking the side tab, this allows for one socket to be constant hot and the other operational as an on and off socket. But I was hoping that by breaking the side tab the constant on socket would turn the juice back on the ceiling fan. It did not. I am still befuddled and have rechecked the circuit breaker box again. Also, I have not done anything with the wall switch.

What doesn't make any sense at all is why the two black wires barely coming into the box have a wire nut on them and what they are used for. If you have any other suggestions, I will be looking forward to them. Thank you whether you do or not.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

What voltage are you using? Is this 120VAC or 240VAC?

How many individual wires are in the box? 

How many cables are in the box? The cables have the individual wires in them. So, you might reply there are three cables in the box, and eight wires (or something like that). 

Any particular reason you changed out the wall socket? Do you recall any details of how you wired them?

Also, you might check other wall sockets and see how they are wired. Pictures might be good in this thread, if that's possible.


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## dawsonjj (Sep 4, 2011)

Drabdr said:


> What voltage are you using? Is this 120VAC or 240VAC?
> 
> How many individual wires are in the box?
> 
> ...


wowzer,

Thanks for giving me help, but I figured it out. The two white wires needed to be on the neutral side and the red wire was the hot wire on the gold side. Once I figured out that combination all the ceiling lights worked again and the wall switch turned the socket on and off. Thanks again.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

dawsonjj said:


> wowzer,
> 
> Thanks for giving me help, but I figured it out. The two white wires needed to be on the neutral side and the red wire was the hot wire on the gold side. Once I figured out that combination all the ceiling lights worked again and the wall switch turned the socket on and off. Thanks again.


Excellent!!  And a thanks from me, for checking back in on your thread and letting us know you got it working. :up:


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## wowzer (Dec 28, 2009)

dawsonjj said:


> wowzer,
> 
> Thanks for giving me help, but I figured it out. The two white wires needed to be on the neutral side and the red wire was the hot wire on the gold side. Once I figured out that combination all the ceiling lights worked again and the wall switch turned the socket on and off. Thanks again.


I'm also glad you got it working but still have one question.

If you broke the tab off between the two hot termials/gold screws how can both sockets work, or maybe they don't and you're not concerned.


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