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🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: Lukesdad on March 05, 2007, 03:46:39 PM

Title: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Lukesdad on March 05, 2007, 03:46:39 PM
I have two switches that I want to change to the Ws12a dimmer switches. Coming from the box there are two black wires and a red wire, another red wire was connected between the two switches. I also see a couple of ground wires. When looking at the diagram there is no color to color. There are 3 colors of wires coming off the back of the X10 switch blue,black and red....what color to what color would be a great thanks
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Brian H on March 05, 2007, 04:31:11 PM
Is the original setup a three way where both controlled the same lights?
If so you need one WS12A and a WS14A companion switch. The Red wire on the WS12A is the control wire from the WS14A that triggers it to go on and off.
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Lukesdad on March 05, 2007, 04:46:36 PM
on controlled the light above my bedroom door and the one next to it controlled the lights above my bed I assume they are on the same circut but they dont control the same lights
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: KDR on March 05, 2007, 10:32:41 PM
Lukesdad:

Are you saying that both switches are mounted in the same switch box? If so your red wire coming into the box goes to one terminal on a switch and then from that point a short red wire jumps over to the other switch. The 2 black wires coming into the box, one goes to the other termanal on one of the switches and the other black lead goes to the other switches terminal. Is this correct? If so the red lead coming in is the power and one black lead goes to one light and the other black lead to the other light. (Are there any white leads tied together in the box?)


This is provided that the wiring is as I stated at the beginning.  You can verify the red lead is the power in by picking up a small neon 110volt tester at your local hardware. Great little device for finding your hot leads. (With the switches off, just touch one lead of the tester to the red lead and the other to the ground wire. The tester will light if the red is hot.)


[TTA Edit: Added formatting for visual impact.]

(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)----KDR
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Lukesdad on March 06, 2007, 01:44:54 AM
Thanks so much...You should write a dummies guide to X10

Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: broox on September 17, 2007, 04:24:28 PM
This is more of an existing wiring question.  I just ordered 1 ws12a to try it out before ordering more.

The light switch I'm attempting to change is in my bathroom (there is only 1 switch that control a set of 2 lights above the sink).  When I pulled the switch out, I found 3 wires plugged into it as opposed to the 2 wires that the instructions gave me.

1 wire has no insulation and plugs into the lower left of the switch (I assume this is a ground).  The other 2 wires are insulated in black - one plugs into the lower right and the other plugs into the upper right of the switch.

How do you wire this up?
The way I see it is one black wire goes into the switch and the other goes to the light?  Or it's wired in a series?  Any help is appreciated.
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: broox on September 17, 2007, 04:41:35 PM
nevermind, i am an idiot.
the un-insulated wire was the ground obviously.

my switch had no marks that indicated which one of the black wires was hot.  however, just as a note, the bottom was live and top was to the lights.
sorry about the dumb question.
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Brian H on September 17, 2007, 06:29:24 PM
broox; No dumb question; everyone of us went through a learing curve. You have now learned something new and even shared it with us.
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: KDR on September 17, 2007, 08:12:41 PM
Just to offer a little tip, which you may not be able to trust 100% because people don't pay attention when doing wiring...

On outlets there are holes to plug the wire in and screws to connect wires on the side. If you look at an outlet you will notice one set of screws are gold in color and the other set is silver in color. The hot lead is always, or should always, be hooked to the gold screws or holes located by the gold screws and the neutral is hooked to the silver screws or the plug-in holes closest to the silver screws..

On switches the lower screw or plug in hole is hot and the top is load. (as was your switch) Although this is common practice with may electricians you can't trust this 100% of the time. With the light switch off and using a 120 VAC test light you can touch the metal grounded part of the switch and the other lead to the screw terminals. When the light comes on, the screw you touched is the hot lead. (this is only true if you have a ground in the work box.

(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)---(http://www.bdshost.com/X10/lpup.gif)----KDR
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: gil shultz on September 19, 2007, 12:14:36 AM
Good Evening,

There are dumb questions, those are the ones that aren't asked, the ones asked are never dumb.

Be careful with the test light, if you connect it to the ground (bare) wire and the hot it will trip a CGFI breaker if one is in the system.  It does no damage, just shows the CGFI is working.  The switch you took out has two wires (not counting the ground), the X10 switch has two wires, It doesn't matter which wire goes to what and there is no standard as to the top wire on a switch being hot or netural.

Turn off the power before messing with the wiring and live to see another day!

Good Luck
Gil Shultz
Title: Re: Stupid question about wall dimmer switches
Post by: Puck on September 19, 2007, 10:46:11 AM
Quote from: gil shultz on September 19, 2007, 12:14:36 AM
Be careful with the test light, if you connect it to the ground (bare) wire and the hot it will trip a CGFI breaker if one is in the system.  It does no damage, just shows the CGFI is working. 

Even though connecting a tester this way will divert some of the return current away from the neutral wire, I do believe that most basic neon type circuit testers draw less than the nominal 5mA trip point of the GFI breaker.