Wiring a Double Switch

[@jamieLogan-w2r]

This is the only video I have found with a fabulous and clear explanation. Thanks!

[@scoopersdcaller]

I'm a nurse, not an electrician. But your explanations and examples helped me understand AND do a good job of keeping me out of the hospital as a patient! Thanks!😁

[@JustALittleFurther]

Ha! I'm also glad you aren't now a patient. Thanks for the feedback.

[@danielj.pughsr.3520]

Thank you, David. This was simple and easy to follow. Really appreciate both the visual and verbal details.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Daniel, thanks for the great feedback!

[@csolar5052]

Thank you so so so much! I was working on a project and couldn’t find a video that explained the white wires. A simple fix and I have power! Much love!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback!

[@americansamiam]

Very clear explanation on every point. Thank you for showing folks how to test for power and providing great example. I would vote for “best of” on KZbin!! Thank you both

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback, Sam. You really made my day!

[@CuttingEdge49]

It’s amazing how different the wiring is from place to place with the standards involved. Nice vid.

[@joetrott8041]

Thank you I've never done any electrical but find myself rewiring a 100 yo home . Luckily for me I am redoing the shiplap as well so the exterior walls are open and nob and tube is coming out. Ive managed to trace and label all the existing on the second story so far now I'm wiring it up with Romex. What a job! As we are modernizing I'm adding lots of plugs and can lights. Your instructions on simply wiring the plugs is just what I needed AND I learned about certain tools and wire nuts (ground). Thank you a whole bunch. Happy New year!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Wow - what a major job! I'm glad you found the double switch video helpful... and good luck on the rest of the job.

[@user-nj8oo9yr3t]

So perfectly explained. Thank you. - Was lost for 2 hours and did not understand why it was not working. I learned a lot.

[@gentryanderson3247]

Glad the video was helpful. Thanks for the feedback!

[@fellzer]

This video was very well organized and edited. Solid work, folks.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for taking the time to send such positive feedback. I appreciate it!

[@keurigmontreal]

I thought your video was really helpful it did what it you set out to do, what I really want to mention is your video took me out of my comfort zone and i was able to install to motors on a drumsander that im building with a dbl switch all because of you Thank you from canada

[@JustALittleFurther]

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the great feedback!

[@brianabrady741]

David - Thank you for the video! I've watched what feels like hundreds to figure out my single gang junction box that has 6 wires (2 black, 3 white, 1 red) and you explaining the line feed coming from the circuit box saved my sanity. Thank you!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback, Briana... you made my day!

[@raymond3722]

I enjoy this video thoroughly..it filled with patient and accuracy.

[@michellet_thatsme]

This was exactlty what I needed to find. I have been looking for the right video for way longer than what it should have taken lol. Thank you.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Michelle, thanks for the feedback! Hope the project goes well for you.

[@michellet_thatsme]

@@JustALittleFurther it went perfectly! Everything is wired up and working great! Very helpful 😊

[@josephjerminario_Joes_Favs]

Thank you for this video, it was exactly what I needed to work my double switch for separate fixtures.

[@nineofcups1]

Thanks for the great feedback Joseph. I appreciate it!

[@DitDede]

This video is very informative, logical and a pleasure to watch. Thank you so much! The "two swichers" I bought to replace a faulty old model had the screws arranged differently and came with no instructions. On my initial attempt I connected the hot wire in the wrong place (!!) and as a result had one switch turn on both lights and one with no effect. Your video helped me understand the error. I also liked the explanation regarding the direction of curling the wires around the screws to tighten the contacts.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback - I’m happy you found it worthwhile!

[@edwinmoralesrivera3409]

What did you do differently i have the same problem

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@edwinmoralesrivera3409

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@edwinmoralesrivera3409 Hopefully, watching the video will help you figure it out.

[@DitDede]

@@edwinmoralesrivera3409 as I wrote, I connected the hot wire to the wrong place.

[@ryszardjacekrusniak7993]

Thank you sooo much sir, i was light years wrong, you really have saved my day.

[@BwCquigley]

Thank you very much! I had never put in a double switch and this video explained it far better than the diagram that came with the switch

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it!

[@thearough]

@@JustALittleFurther do you have vid on how to wire florescent light to switch and add a plug to switch to go in socket?

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@thearough Hi Thearough, No, but it sounds like a good idea. I'll put it in the queue.

[@jhoi0801]

Thanks you so much. It help me .

[@ricko2766]

:) I will sleep better tonight knowing that I learned from a Master Electrician. Thanks for taking your time to make video.

[@roxysancha6802]

Thanks man! Your video was slow and provided explanations that I needed. I like how you show a couple different methods, and even mention that a better tool is available. (I already have an even better wire stripper, but lacked the knowledge I needed.)

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback... appreciate it!

[@C_Rod84]

Awesome video!!! I watched others and yours was the easiest to follow and was the closest to what I was trying to do. Built a router table and wanted to run the saw and a vacuum on different outlets using a dual switch.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Sounds like he perfect application. Thanks for the great feedback!

[@georgerios1194]

Awesome video, very well explained. You get my follow sir.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback! I appreciate it

[@kbj8594]

Thank you!!! Excellent and helpful walkthrough!

[@inthegarage.withalvaro.1344]

Thank you for this video, it explain the process very clearly. I do have a bit of a different situation though, working on an old 1930´s house. I get 2 wires from the service panel to the bathroom switch, a hot and a neutral I guess for the light. I want to add a bath fan, I run a wire from the switch to the fan location but now I feel I don’t have enough wires from the service panel to the switch to connect it.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Alvaro, just as you said, you have two wires at the switch, the hot and neutral. For the wiring to the fan, connect the hot to the switch and splice the neutral to the neutral from the service panel. As for the ground wire, it's hard to say whether there is a ground in a circuit this old. If the box that holds the switch is metal and the wire from the service panel is inside a metal conduit, then most likely the metal box will serve as a connection for ground. Use 14-2 wire and connect the black to the switch, the white to the neutral and the ground wire to the metal box. Hope this helps.

[@ubernoober2441]

YOU ARE THE MAN!!! thank you, finally a no bs video, love it.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks... you made my day!

[@JERCHROME]

This has got to be the most concise how-to video ever. Now I can wire my flood light!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks Jerchrome... I appreciate the feedback!

[@JERCHROME]

@@JustALittleFurther i successfully installed my own flood light a few weeks ago from the help of this video!

[@walterdiaz2003]

I enjoyed the presentation. Excellent video!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Southwestdetroit313]

Very educational... thanks for the video

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks... I appreciate the feedback!

[@aleksandrkorshunov1686]

Thank you guys for very helpful video!

[@agray1980ag]

Thanks for a very well done video. This was extremely helpful.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks… you made my day!

[@timothyalanogrady]

Great video on wiring up a the double switch.

[@gentryanderson3247]

Thanks for the great feedback, Timothy… I appreciate it!

[@marvvalens4522]

Exactly what I need. Thank you!

[@cristianweekendworrierproj1130]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and of your old friend… Very good video tutorial

[@JustALittleFurther]

Glad you enjoyed it… thanks!

[@chiman3778]

Thank you for posting this

[@NS-yu6yf]

lol, love the third method of testing for hot

[@jdtaxpayer801]

Very good video sir...I learned a lot!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks JD... I appreciate the great feedback!

[@sukhpalcheema2509]

Great video, thank you!

[@ReasonablySane]

A huge discovery for me was that all the screws work best with a square tipped screw driver.

[@rosavillaman3204]

Good video

[@ArtieGlock]

Sorry for the confusion...but how do you know which of the 3 black wires does what? TY

[@Lhostel]

This is a great video. I totally understand this concept but I am still flabbergasted with the situation I have. I have a single pole switch powering an exhaust fan and LED light in the bathroom. I had to remove and replace an old exhaust fan and light above the shower in the same bathroom. The unit I had to replace wasn’t getting any power. How do I run a dual switch to control these lights separately? The existing switch has a neutral wire on one screw and a hot on the other powering the existing light.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Unfortunately, in order to control both the light and fan independently, you will have to run another set of wires to either the light or fan. To save costs, the original electrician only ran one cable to the light and then connected it to the fan in the ceiling.

[@andrewkrause6885]

You guys are awesome

[@kathygoodson2268]

All and good but u never said what we need to buy..whats the name of the items you got????

[@AlexRivera-sc6we]

Thank you sir very helpful

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.

[@timray1190]

Thanks and well done.

[@andrewkrause6885]

Thank you!

[@keytothegate68]

Could you do this dual switch to separate lights and bathroom fan if you only had one hot and one neutral coming in the box ?

[@nineofcups1]

Yes, as long as there are separate wires to the fan and light. In fact, this is the usual configuration.

[@ThomasHayes2112]

A question, please. I just did a switch like this is an older house. There is one red wire supplying power and two black outgoing, one for an interior light, the other for an outside light. It all works, except the outside light only comes on if the inside light is also on. Any ideas on why this would be?? Thanks, good video.

[@gentryanderson3247]

Hi Thomas, usually a red wire is a switched connection, and my guess is that it isn’t supplying power. I'm pretty sure one of the black wires is supplying power and should be connected to the common terminal on the switch.

[@ThomasHayes2112]

@@gentryanderson3247 ok, thanks. I will get tested and find the supply. That actually makes sense. If one of the back wires is supplying power, then the way its hooked up now would require both switches to make both connections. Thank you very much.

[@BeckyBlanton]

Some videos say the white wire is the hot wire. You say the black wire is hot. Which is it and how do I tell? Is it white wire to silver, black wire to brass? Which wire goes to black screws?

[@JustALittleFurther]

The white wire is ALWAYS the neutral and the black is ALWAYS the hot. If the white wire is hot in your wiring, then the wiring is reversed. The black wire may be switched, as between a switch and a light for example, and in this case the black is either hot when the switch is on or disconnected when the switch is off. On an outlet or light, the white wire goes to the silver screw and the hot wire goes to the brass screw. The dark or black screw is typically found on a three way switch, and is reserved for the common wire... but wiring a three way switch is beyond the scope of this KZbin.

[@BeckyBlanton]

@@JustALittleFurther Thank you!!! I'd say it was reversed!! Thank you for taking time to reply.

[@julls1974]

Hello Sir..Are you using an Eaton combination two single pole switches or a 3 way switch one? im having issue on my project as only the top switch works combining 2 lights.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hello Julls, I used two single pole switches. The most common problem is connecting the hot wire to the wrong terminal. Please double check this. Let me know if you're still having problems.

[@Grayback1973]

Hi, I wired a new ceiling fan.At the wall there are two switches, one for the ceiling fan and one for the ceiling fan light. Whenever the fan is on the light does not work. In other words, I switch the light on and it comes on but then I switch the fan on and the light goes off. Any idea what this could be?

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi John, other than a new ceiling fan, what changed? Did the switches work correctly with the old fan, or are the switches new as well?

[@Grayback1973]

@@JustALittleFurther Thanks for the reply,I figured it out finally. Guy had the fans black hot wired in with the clump of neutrals in the ceiling can.I undid that and wired it to the switched hot yellow that is coming from the fans switch in the wall and wired the fans white neutral to that clump of neutrals. And to think I paid the guy to do it! It is SO difficult to find quality contractors anymore.People are just incompetent!

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@Grayback1973 wow! That was a big error on the contractors part. Glad you figured it out.

[@r2rosconcepts231]

Excellent!

[@user-nn6ug3vr4b]

Hi, Your video on wiring a double switch was helpful, but I have encountered a problem that I hope you (or someone) can advise me on. My mother has an old double switch that controls two lights (one on each switch). One side of the old switch stopped working (it controlled a light in the bathroom), while the other side continued to work (it controlled a light in the laundry room). I replaced the switch, but I can't quite get it to operate the two lights entirely separately. The bathroom light is fine. I can turn the switch that controls the light there on and off and the bathroom lights go on and off. Great. However, the second switch, which is supposed to control the light in the laundry room, only works when I have the bathroom light on (i.e., the switch for it is on). If I have the switch for the bathroom light off, the switch that controls the laundry room light doesn't do anything. The laundry room light remains off. When I turn on the bathroom light (using the adjacent switch), the switch for the laundry room light turns the laundry room light on an off. I'm puzzled. At first I thought that the switch might be faulty, but I've now tried 3 switches and each time I had the same result. I've changed around the wiring, but that has only made things worse. There are only two cables coming into the box. The one that controls the bathroom light has power (one black wire as well as a white wire that I have attached to the opposite side of the switch). There is no power in the other cable, which runs to the laundry room light. I currently have the black hot wire fastened to a black screw on one side of the switch and the white wire from that cable, and the black wire from the 2nd cable, fastened to the brass screws on the other side of the switch. I realize that no one may respond, but I am hoping to figure out what I need to do to correct the arrangement (my Mom says she's OK with having to turn on the bathroom light in order to use the switch for the laundry room, but some Moms will forgive anything!). Cheers, Ian

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Ian, sorry about the slow response… we’ve been camping with no internet for a few days. It sounds like the cable from the bath with the hot wire has been mis-wired at some point, and the hot wire is the white. I think that if you switch those wires, I.e. connect the hot white wire to the black terminal and the black wire to the brass terminal, all will work fine. Let me know if that works. David

[@user-nn6ug3vr4b]

Hi David, Thank your for your response! I've mucked around with the switch quite a bit but I still can't get it to operate properly - to control two lights on two different switches. I tried treating the white wire as the hot wire, but it is not hot. I'm afraid that switching it with the black wire did not work. It really has me stumped. I realize that if you were working on the switch you'd likely be able to figure out what the issue is, but you're having to respond to this "blind" so to speak. I do appreciate the indulgence, but maybe it's not what you want posted on your KZbin site! Anyway, I'll go on here, for now. Right now the switch is as follows: There are only 2 cables coming into the box. It turns out that each cable has a hot black wire, a neutral white wire and a ground wire. I have played around with the switch and connected both blacks and whites to various terminals (always respecting the Line side and Load sides of the switch), but either the changes make no difference or they make matters worse (e.g., nothing comes on!). The best I have been able to do is connect one hot wire to the Line side of the switch, the white wire from that cable to the Load side and the black wire from the 2nd cable to the Load. I have left the white wire from the 2nd cable disconnected. This configuration enables me to control the bathroom light normally (i.e., the top switch turns the bathroom light on and off), but the laundry room light will only go on when the bathroom light is on. When the bathroom light is on, the lower switch turns the laundry room light on and off. If the bathroom light (switch) is off, I cannot turn on the laundry room light with the switch. I have tried 3 different switches thinking that some might have been faulty. But they've all been the same. I even tried this with a fourth switch and removed the "fin" on the Line side, but that was worse.I don't know why (perhaps because there are only 2 cables in the box and each has power?). Anyway, I don't expect you to waste any more time with this, but it is weird that I can't get it to work the way it apparently did for some 50 years (according to Mom) before the old switch stopped working (on the bathroom light). Thanks again for your assistance. I have bookmarked your site! It's very good. Ian @@JustALittleFurther

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@user-nn6ug3vr4b hi again Ian, I’m at a loss to explain this. I’m happy to troubleshoot it with you, however. I would suggest double checking as follows: with a multimeter, check the voltage between each wire and the ground wire just to be absolutely sure that both black wires are hot and neither white is. You can do this without disconnecting the wires from the switch as long as both switches are off. Let me know the results and we’ll go to the next step.

[@user-nn6ug3vr4b]

​I drafted a response to your email but it disappeared. Please excuse me if you receive this multiple times! I did as you suggested with a Non-Contact meter (not a multimeter as I don't have one) and I can confirm that each of the black wires is hot and none of the white or ground wires is. I disconnected the wires to try and ensure that they were far enough apart from one another so that I did not get any false readings. Perhaps I should have measured the voltage as you suggested - does that make sense? I appreciate your offer to troubleshoot with me. Unfortunately, the switch is at my mother's house and I have to "negotiate" playing with the switch (rather than just chatting and having a cup of coffee...). Still, if you think there is something more I should try, please let me know. Cheers! Ian@@JustALittleFurther

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@user-nn6ug3vr4b let’s take this offline. My email address is [e-mail]. If you send me your cellphone number, maybe we can text through the problem next time you’re at your mom’s. I’m assuming you’re in the U.S.?

[@uniefresh420]

Thankyou very much greatly appreciated

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@kathygoodson2268]

I've never seen a box like that..I have the 2 single switches but that looks so much easier..but what's it called????

[@JustALittleFurther]

I assume you mean what switch to buy? You can go to your local hardware store and ask someone in the electrical department for a 15 amp, single pole double switch. Or get on Amazon and search for it there. It should cost around $12-$15 or so. Hopefully this helps.

[@pilarcortez3707]

Thank you very much for the video I've a question on my attic i have a fixture light of the light there's a wire going into a toggle switch can i power another light of that switch and how i do it help please

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Pilar, if I’m understanding correctly, you have a toggle switch with either a black or red wire that goes to the light fixture (the switched hot wire). There should also be a white neutral wire and a bare copper wire going to the light. Do you want to power the second light with the same switch? If so, run new 14/2 wire to the new light. If the light has different colored terminals, connect the black wire to the brass colored terminal and the white wire to the silver terminal. If the terminals are the same color, it doesn’t matter which terminals the white and black wires are connected to. The bare wire should go to the ground terminal which is usually green. On the switch side, connect the white wires together, the ground wires together, and the black wire to the switched hot wire from the toggle switch. If you want to change the single toggle switch to a double switch and power each light separately, run new 14/2 wire to the new light and connect the wires as described above. Then remove the old single toggle switch and replace it with a double switch as described in this video. Hope this helps.

[@elsitaosorio5402]

very helpfull video sir thanks

[@ldr4278]

Excellent ! Thank you.

[@serafinechevarria7156]

Thank you for your advice I've learned now on how to wire a double switch.

[@vincentfranchino2732]

What would happen if I mixed up the 2 wires on the one side without the ground? I hooked it up but it works with both switches but when I turn off 1 switch it turns off both lights.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Obviously, you want the wires in their correct locations. I'd figure out where I went wrong and correct the wiring. I can't tell from your description which wires need to be moved and to where.

[@TheGregWallace]

Question.....Can you use this same exact switch if you wanted to power two separate lights with two separate circuits? And if so, what type of breaker would need to be used in the panel or can you use two different beakers located in completely different places in the panel? My under standing is that it would require a special breaker to be safe. Also my understand is you want to make sure you do not combine or share the neutrals from both circuits as well. However I do understand that it is ok to combine the grounds from both circuits. It is just hard to find info on this scenario. Any info or light you can shed on this type set up, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Yes, you can use two separate circuits. The neutrals should still be connected together, and the black wires will come from two separate breakers. There's nothing special about the breakers, and they can be anywhere in the breaker panel. Make sure to cut the small jumper between the two line terminals on the switch, then connect one to circuit #1 and the other to circuit #2. Hope this helps.

[@TheGregWallace]

@@JustALittleFurther I understand the neutrals need to be connected. What I'm talking about is keeping the neutrals separate, meaning you do not want to mix neutrals from different circuits. Am I correct about that?

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@TheGregWallace Assuming both circuits originated at the same breaker panel, all the neutrals should be connected together.

[@TheGregWallace]

@@JustALittleFurther I'm talking about in the gang box where your light switch is not the panel box. Not sure if we are talking about the same thing?

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@TheGregWallace Yes, I'm talking about the gang box... all the white neutrals can be connected together.

[@TheHtmajeed]

Well done.......I always use tape on wire nuts and terminals........ thank you

[@ariesonesv]

Is there yeah to request something to do that I'm having problems with?

[@JustALittleFurther]

Ask away - if I can help, I will.

[@phyllissmith7003]

what do you do with the other blackscrew if you are only using one circute

[@JustALittleFurther]

Just tighten it and leave it unused.

[@yota4004]

I did an ceiling fan with light. it works! LOL. thank you so much.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Yay! Glad it all worked out. Thanks for the feedback!

[@jace865]

I have a switch for a well pump and light. I have to turn the screw for the well pump back and forth sometimes before it’ll come on. Also, the light sometimes works and sometimes flickers before it works. I have no idea why.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi KnoxWatch, The problem could be the switch, the connections or the wiring. Sounds like it might be time to call an electrician to diagnose the problem.

[@jirojosephesman8175]

Great video...do you have a video to a breaker 20 amp 15 amp ...how to change 15 to 20 if possible...and how to have a license to be tech ..thank you have a blessed day and be blessed

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi jirojoseph, Thanks for the feedback. As to changing a 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp, this isn't advisable. The wiring for a 15 amp circuit is AWG14, while the wiring for a 20 amp circuit is AWG12. If you change the breaker without changing all the circuit wiring, you may overheat the wiring, causing a potential fire hazard.

[@nieolivas3431]

What if you want one switch for a light in your other switch for the fan in the bathroom

[@JustALittleFurther]

That's what the switch was meant for and what the video, hopefully, explains... how to control two lights or a light and a fan, etc. from one source. Wire the black wire from the source to the input of the switch. Wire the black wire from the light to one of the output terminals. Wire the black wire from the fan to the other output terminal of the switch. Connect a ground wire to the switch and to the three ground wires, and connect all the white wires together. This is pretty much the entire video in a nutshell.

[@will2dmax1]

I have this same switch in my bathroom, one switch turns the lights above our mirror on and off, the bottom switch turns the light on our exhaust fan on and off, the fan stays going all the time,but what I want to do is get a switch that has a dimmer for the lights above the mirror, and a regular switch for the ceiling fan light, does one like that exist.

[@JustALittleFurther]

If you google “double switch with dimmer “ you’ll find several. I didn’t see any with a dimmer on just one of the circuits, however. This probably isn’t a problem… you can leave the fan dimmer setting to fully on.

[@will2dmax1]

@@JustALittleFurther The fan stays on all the time, the switch only controls the fan light, on that bottom switch, would that make any difference.

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@will2dmax1 it should work okay… one switch will control or dim the mirror lights, and the other will dim or control the fan light. Make sure the dimmers you buy are consistent with the type of light, i.e. LEDs, incandescent etc. I’m curious about the fan… it runs continuously all the time?

[@robertjones1891]

This was a fabulous video! Thank you. I have a question. I have the same type of switch at home that I need to replace. When I opened it up, there were three back wires just like in your video. Will only one of the three be hot? Thanks!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Yes, you are right… only one will be hot.

[@robertjones1891]

@@JustALittleFurther Thanks so much. Is it normal that the screws that need to be loosened on the new switch in order to attach the wires are incredibly tight? I can barely open them. (It is a brand new switch just out of the packaging.) I appreciate your help.

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@robertjones1891 yup, the terminals on most new switches are torqued down pretty tightly.

[@robertjones1891]

@@JustALittleFurther Many thanks again! I have this double switch (as in your video) in my basement. One switch controls an outside outlet and other switch controls a motion-activated outside light. The outside light can also be turned on from inside the house if you click the switch back and forth a couple of times. I have not had any past problems. Recently, the outside light just flickers...it does not light steady. I changed the lightbulb...did not solve it. Now, per your perfect instruction, I changed the switch...that turns out not to have helped either. The light is still just flickering. Any suggestions as to what might be wrong and how to solve this? The outside outlet works fine. Thank you for your kind help! Robert

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@robertjones1891Since you changed the switch and that didn’t solve the problem, I suspect it’s a problem with the light itself. If it’s a motion sensing light, it probably also has a photo sensor that only allows the light to come on after dark. Photo sensors often fail, and one typical early symptom is the light flickering. The light may have a “Test” switch, and if putting it in test mode eliminates the flickering, it almost surely is the photo sensor. You may be able to replace the photo sensor, but most likely the entire light fixture may need replacement.

[@jolldoes1515]

Hi Can I use the power coming from a GFCI to wire an over sink light and on the other switch a hood fan 15 amp should do ?

[@davidredpath4781]

Contact a licensed electrician.

[@Nick-bh1fy]

Depends on hm amperage the light and fan are gonna draw, and the current amperage of the existing circuit. Also be mindful if the gfci trips so will the light and fan

[@njsongwriter]

Of course. And you can choose to wire those to the load side or the line side of the GFCI.

[@markgatewood4729]

Can I use the same procedure end of the run switch to an exhaust fan w/o light?

[@JustALittleFurther]

You should be able to connect an exhaust fan to one of the switches

[@1st-Law]

I just pulled a double switch out of the wall and it has a red wire as well?

[@JustALittleFurther]

In some cases, the black wire is hot (energized), and the red wire is switched on or off by the switch. It might also be that the three wires, white, black and red, are used to provide power to two circuits, like a ceiling fan with a light, for example. One switch and the black wire would control one of the circuits, the fan perhaps, while the other switch and the red wire would control the light.

[@frankiebush2604]

I have a double switch in my bathroom. The only wires coming from the wall are 2 black wires and one Grey. No solid copper. I’m confused on how I should hook this up

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Frankie, is the house older with metal conduit? It was okay to use the conduit as the ground. The ground connected to the box via the metal conduit, then, assuming the box was metal, the ground was connected to the switch via the mounting screws. If the wiring doesn’t have a metal conduit, then I can’t think of any way your wiring meets code. As for the two black wires and one grey (is it maybe white?), one wire must be hot and the other two must be the switched wires. The wire colors aren’t correct

[@frankiebush2604]

@@JustALittleFurther you are correct, after some digging found out it was being grounded to the conduit. And also correct on wiring color being wrong. Took a tester to each wire and figured it all out. Thank you for reply.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Oops, that reply got sent before I was done… the wire colors aren’t correct and could be confusing if not dangerous to some future electrician working on the circuit, but will probably work, as long as you get the three wires connected properly.

[@RB-xv4si]

I’m not sure where you get the idea that a breaker will likely stop working after it trips a few times. Never seen this happen before. Part of troubleshooting an underground circuit fault is repeatedly resetting a breaker after it trips until you’ve broken enough splices to isolate the fault and it stops tripping. Also, why are you not using lineman pliers to twist your wires? It’s hard to say this without sounding rude, but that neutral splice looked terrible. Where did you learn to make splices?

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Russell - thanks for the observation. Here is my rationale... the number of times a breaker cantrip and continue to operate depends on the overload current. Most household circuit breakers are designed and tested to meet UL-489. Among other criteria, a breaker designed to meet UL-489 must remain operational after only two 'maximum' short circuits. If I short the wires in an electrical box, the current may very well be close to 15 times the normal 15-20 amp load rating of the breaker (the typical maximum short circuit rating of a quality circuit breaker), meaning it has only been designed and tested to handle this current twice. In your experience, which is a great troubleshooting and fault isolation method, BTW, the current was probably due to insulation damage, water ingress, or physical damage. An overcurrent situation due to one of these causes may result in a current that might only be 1.5-3 times the rated capacity of the breaker, and it will continue to operate indefinitely. In my experience, putting a dead short on the output of a breaker more than 3-4 times will cause it to become flakey, often tripping with only minor loads or not operating at all.

[@pmgn9360]

do you have a video where the power is coming in from the lights?

[@JustALittleFurther]

No, sorry.

[@njsongwriter]

You would have to use 3 wire with ground. It will be one black, one white and one red wire. The black and red wires will be your hot wires. One will bring the power into the switch box and the other will carry it back to the fixture. The white wire will be connected to all the other white wires with a wire nut at the fixture. The white wire in the switch box should be at least six inches long and will just be capped off with a small wire nut (for future use if ever needed).

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@njsongwriter Thanks Jack... this was a good clarification.

[@A.A2015]

Why did the electrician in my house pull out three black wires and one red one for a double switch?

[@JustALittleFurther]

I can’t say for sure without seeing it, but more than likely one wire was the line (the hot wire), the red wire went to a light circuit, and the other two black wires fed other outlets, and/or a fan, a light or some other circuit.

[@A.A2015]

@@JustALittleFurther Thank you for answering I have another question , for LED lamps we use an electronic ballast?

[@JustALittleFurther]

@@A.A2015 technically, LEDs don’t require a ballast, but some LED bulbs are designed to directly replace an existing fluorescent bulb, and these direct replacement bulbs do require a ballast.

[@steveanderson1633]

My problem is the wires coming out of the wall are only 1 black 1red

[@JustALittleFurther]

The black is the hot conductor and the red is the switched conductor that goes to the light. There are two problems with your situation. First, wiring to a switch predating the 2017 code didn’t require having a white neutral conductor. Secondly, your box only has the wires to switch one light. In order to add a circuit to switch something else, like a fan or second light, you’ll have to run new wiring to the fixture, plus run a neutral wire from the breaker box. If you really need to add a double switch in this box, it’s probably time to call an electrician.

[@douglasveazey1070]

Repair, sink drainage

[@jessiesorbet2434]

3:30 Wow... Did a LICENSED MASTER ELECTRICIAN actually demonstrate how check for LIVE electrical wires by physically touching them??? oh, never mind, there was a disclaimer suggesting not to use this method...

[@o.j.m.4871]

We’re busy but we can

[@JustALittleFurther]

O.J. M. Don’t know what you mean.

[@MrVARhythm]

This was so slow I had to skip forward, then I went too far forward, so I went back, but then I went too far back, so now I'm leaving a comment that I wish you just drew a damn wiring diagram

[@JustALittleFurther]

Sorry it wasn’t to your liking. Just tried to make it interesting. Most people who view a “how-to” video would probably not understand a circuit schematic, IMHO.

[@douglasveazey1070]

Repair sink drainage

[@LordZorak11]

4:13 Holy crap that was scary.

[@5zwoodworks]

A master electrician....shouldn't be wearing jewelry while working.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Good observation. While there is a slight chance of zapping my ring, I’ll take the risk… my wedding ring hasn’t been removed in 39 years and counting. If I’m working on a live circuit or near a live circuit, I wear electrician’s gloves.

[@farmerdave7965]

Using needle nose pliers to twist wire ? That did not look like an acceptable twist. When I see this guy's tools I get the feeling he is not a master electrician.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Different tools for different folks. I certainly am a licensed master electrician.

[@davidredpath4781]

Always contact a licensed electrician! All it takes is one little mistake (the neutrals in this video are red flag to me) and your house could be a pile of ashes! Electricians are licensed for a reason!

[@JohnSmith-wd9rc]

Yeah, pay $100 an hour for a simple switch replacement, no thanks. This isn't 3 phase 440.

[@anthonyluciano8655]

The way he twist the wires and cut in the box made me cringe

[@michaelrunnacles322]

I don't know normally say anything but it was literally painful watching this video. To my ears and eyes. Change something

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Michael, we try hard to make our videos interesting and informative. Sorry it wasn’t to your liking.

[@redcheckfirewood]

Excellent!

[@nieolivas3431]

What if you have one power source one black wire

[@JustALittleFurther]

This is the typical situation. Simply connect the black source wire to the line terminal. The two line terminals are normally connected together with a small metal jumper, which is only clipped when using two separate circuits.