Installing Recessed/question With Switch/power

Hi,



I would like to wire a switch to be able to cut the power to the ceiling mounted outlets that feed our garage door openers. Running new wiring to them will be a bit cumbersome, so I am hoping to avoid that. The ceiling outlets are powered by light fixtures in the garage (one near by each outlet). There is a 3 wire romex cable running from the light switch to the first light and another one between the lights, and then regular 2 wire romex cables from the light fixtures to the outlets. The red wires in the 3 wire cables to the lights are switchable, the black wires are always hot.



I mainly want to be able to cut the power to the doors when we are away on vacation, and the reason for that is that one night both doors somehow opened up - I have no idea why. I'd hate for that to happen when we're away. Unplugging and plugging in the openers is a bit of a hassle due to the high ceiling.



I thought about wiring in a switched outlet so that I could just reach up with a long handle of some sort and switch off the power to the outlet. It would not be ideal, but definitely easier than getting the ladder out and unplugging the door openers.  However, there is possibly another option that I'd like some input on if anyone cares to comment. I believe I could wire in a switch on the wall next to the light switch that would allow me to cut the power to the black wires in the 3 wire cables. This would cut the power to the ceiling outlets and anything downstream from there (possibly an outside light, I would need to check on that).



My question is, are there any potential issues with this sort of wiring? Is there perhaps any code violation if both hot wires in a 3 wire cable can be switched off separately?



Thoughts?
      

I could use some help. I have an existing switch (power to switch) that is powering a light I plan on eliminating. I want to add two new lights to my garage and use the power from that switch for the lights. What is the best way to wire the lights from the switch? A diagram would be really helpful.



14/2 at the switch (black, bare copper, white).



Thanks
      

I'm wiring two lights to one switch with power coming into the switch. All the diagrams I see show the connection of the two lights at one of the lights(if that makes sense). Can all of the connections be made at the switch box if theres room? Basically a wire from each light and the power wire all run to the switch box and connected.
      

I am currently remodeling a bedroom in my home for a new baby.  I have gutted the room and am replacing all the electrical and adding new recessed lighting.  The room will also have a ceiling fan, along with the recessed lighting.  I am looking for a single gang light switch that will operate the ceiling fan independently of the recessed lighting, with a dimmer for the recessed lighting.  I don't have room for a double gang box where the switch is currently placed, as there is a closet in the way.  Is there such a thing as a switch that will operate the ceiling fan and it's lighting on a normal on/off switch, with a dimmer that can independently control the recessed lighting?  I have checked with the local big box stores and everyone has told me I will have to run two switches.  Is this the case?  Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
      

i have 3 switch sets in my house that are giving me absolute fits.



#1  kitchen switch, controls the light over the outside door




    Code:

   

3 sets of lines coming in,



line from the breaker panel (power)



line to the ceiling lights 



line to the outside porch light.

i cannot get this 3 line to work without tripping the breaker every time i turn the switch off



#2 bathroom switches




    Code:

   

power feed line



line to the light over the medicine cabinet



line to the second switch to control the exhaust fan.

same issue as the first set, flip the switch and trip the breaker (different breaker from the kitchen switch)



#3 living room switch and plug controlled via switch




    Code:

   

 power feed line



outside porch light line



line to wall switch to control the lower wall outlet

flip switch, trip breaker



the switches i have are "1 pole" am i using the wrong switches for this job?
      

Hello there,



I just installed a new fixture in my dining room. It has 5 MR16 halogen bulbs. When i turn on the light switch, the lights are gradually turning on to full brightness. The process takes a between 5 to 10 seconds.



I removed one of the bulb and noticed it took a bit less time and continued until I had only 3 bulbs and then the lights are turning on instantly.



So I think its obvious that the fixture is drawing too much power from the circuit. My question is, why? What tests can I dk to find the cause? Is it a faulty switch or faulty wiring?



Thank you!
      

Hello Everyone-

   I was hoping that someone would be able to help me connect the dots here as far as how to do the wiring for my new bathroom.   To give you the basics...



There is just one two wire power cable going to the bathroom.

I have one single unit, that has two flip switches on it.

- Switch 1 is to control the light.

- Switch 2 is to control the fan.

Then there is also one outlet, which I want to be always on, and not hooked up to any switch.



Attached is a diagram of the individual components.



Can someone help me connect the dots on how to wire this all up?  Please let me know if you need any more details!
      

I raised a shed and disconnected the wiring from the main building to the shed. Now it's a month later and it's time to hook the power back up. From the main building I have power into the shed with a white, black, red and copper wire. Originally the power went into the outside light fixture and then off of that it went to another light and two outlets. The original confiruation allowed of us to turn the shed's outside light on and off, from a switch inside the main building. With the power off to the light, we still had power to the outlets and internal light. The outside light fixture has black and white wires. The wire to the internal light and the outlets has a black, white, and copper wire. So how do I wire this so that the main building switch can control the outside light on the shed, while still having power to the internal light and outlets, regardless of the switch being on or off? (I wired the internal blacks and whites all together, which just ended up with the outside light always being on.)
      

Hey everyone - question about home wiring that was done when the house  was built about 20 years ago (which putting it delicately...is very  shoddy at best).  I'd like to think of myself as fairly knowledgeable in  basic home wiring...but this one has me baffled and I really hope  someone can help.



I am redoing a screened-in porch at the back of our house.  There is  currently a working outlet, and single-pole switch that turns on an  outside bug zapper, and a wire running coming into a second  switch...then leading into nothing in the ceiling (presumably for a  future ceiling fan / light install that was never completed).  I gutted  the entire porch and using one of those audible voltage testers,  discovered the wire than ran into the second switch / ceiling box did  NOT work. 



Not thinking much about it, I tried figuring out how the first switch  (to that outdoor bug zapper) was wired.  Most of the wiring for that  switch and the outlet I mentioned is behind the plywood sheathing of the  house...so it's near impossible to figure out where it goes.  Initially  it LOOKED like the power from the circuit panel came into the outlet  first...and then went out to the bug zapper switch.  (Why did I think  this?  The outlet had a B/W wire coming into it...and another B/W going  out back into the wall somewhere.  Tracing that wire along the basement  foundation best I could...it looked like it went right into the bug  zapper switch).  So wanting to completely eliminate the bug zapper  switch, I disconnected all of the wires that were connected to the  outlet to figure out which set was leading to it.



Here's where I got confused.  When I did this and re-tested voltage at  the outlet, one set of wires was live...and the other set was dead.  And  that makes perfect sense.  Yet the bug zapper switch STILL worked.  OK -  so my conclusion: the power for this bug zapper switch isn't coming  from the outlet.  No problem.  But just because I was near it, I decided  to also check that 2nd switch / ceiling wire combo...and what do you know - it was LIVE!



I got super excited it was working but then super baffled because I  didn't do anything to that ceiling wire at all.  In fact - all I did was  DISconnect 2 sets of wires at a nearby outlet. 



Confused but happy, I was ready to pack it in for the evening and  re-connected the incoming / outgoing wires back to the power outlet.   Flipped the circuit breaker on.  No issues.  BUT - now all of a sudden  the 2nd switch / ceiling wire that magically started working was NO  longer working - just like it hadn't been since I started this whole  process. 



Logic is telling me it's obviously got something to do with the outlet  wiring...since that's the only thing I messed with.  But why would the  ceiling wire all of a sudden become LIVE when the wires going into the  outlet were all disconnected?  It's certainly a first for me.  Can anyone help me figure this mystery out?  Thanks gang!
      

I am only using a simple "non-contact" voltage detector. I am getting a reading from the switch, along part of the line and then at the lights themselves, but the lights are not coming on. I have not gotten into the attic yet to check the line and junction box. What could cause this? An open connection or loose connection? Any help with troubleshooting would be great.



This is a new install of lights, they were not existing. Power is at the switch. Had single pole now I have a double switch. (the existing light that was on the single pole is still working fine). At one  point I connected just the new lights to the existing power, single pole switch, and still did not have lights.