odd switch

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readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
troubleshooting today: some of the living room receptacles and the overhead lite didn't work. I followed wires underneath and found that if I turned on a switch in the basement that didn't seem to do anything down there, the receptacles and lite would work.

it was a 3/way switch with a hot on one of the traveler screw, flip it off and nothing, flip it on and the circuit works.

combined with some of the other stuff I saw it was as if someone had just hooked things up at random until they worked.
 

jbelectric777

Senior Member
Location
NJ/PA
Ready, Sounds like the Carter system hook up, was it old K&T? They paralelled the hots and neutrals to the travelers and used the commons from each switch and went to the fixture.
 

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
OK, so that begs the question, "Where is the other 3/way switch?"
Found the other 3/way today: customer called that the circuit stopped working again. The first switch was at the bottom of the basement stairs; the second was at the basement entry (exterior) door. Still don't know why these would control a circuit upstairs in the living room, but there's lots of evidence of diy work.

This is a rental thats being sold, supposed to close next week. I recommended to the sellers a complete rewire but they can't or won't. They promised to recommend me to the buyer.

Since I've been following these forums and reading what you that are more knowledgeable than me say about things that seem small, I've been more sensitive to the horrible work I see in real life. If only all that I found wrong was a screw inside a plastic box to fasten to stud or a junction box in an electric range circuit!
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Sounds like someone fed the light from the stairway light, making it operate from the same switches. He just went to the nearest light he could access. I assume he had a switch in the room too, right? Meaning he had to have 2 switches on for it to work.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I've seen DIY's hook hots to ground screws of switches with metal plates and wonder why they sometimes get shocked. Obviously, no ground path. Also, same thing and wonder why switch trips a breaker, if a ground path. Then get upset about having to pay me to fix things. "All you did was swap a few wires". I know I should have donated my work, I'm just selfish.
 

dicklaxt

Senior Member
2-3 way switches wired in parallel to act as SPST on/off switches but they then would be dependant on the other to function in the off mode,however you could turn the circuit on from either location but ony turn it off from the last switch used to turn it on,,,,,,,,,,,,Hybrid 3-way:grin:

dick
 
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