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Last night one of the light switches that I usually turn on and off the dinning room lights would not budge until I applied a good amount of pressure and then the lights did not turn on. I figured that it just simply had worn out and lost contact and when I applied extreme pressure no the upper part of the switch the lights flicker and I could see a small amount of smoke coming from the back of the switch. So i knew it was fried- had just worn out it's contacts and was arcing or some such and need to replace.
The wiring which is the original wiring has 3 different locations in the dining room where there are light switches. Previously any of the 3 would turn off or on the lights as one would expect.
I took the old switch off, went to Home Dept this morning and back with more newer 3 pole switches. Installed it and when I turned the power back on the lights were not on until I toggled the new switch in a downward position.
I tried the other 2 switches and they both turned the lights on or off. When I toggle the new switch to the upward position- then the other light switches would not work. I thought perhaps there was an assignment for the hot wires so I switched them out and the same thing happened. When I measured voltage on the hot wires. When the switch is in a downward position then there is no voltage coming to either side. In an upward position I get voltage on one side or the other depending on whether the lights are being controlled by the other 2 switches. None of this makes one ounce of sense. I did add a ground wire, but that would have zero to do with anything of this nature. I have attached photos of the front and back of the old and new switch. They are both simple 3 pole switches, although the older one does show it's age. If I turn it on via the new light switch and then turn it off with one of the other switches- then the new one does nothing in either an up or down position.
What gives? The new 3 pole switch is acting as an off and on vs what one would expect and not the same way it acted before. None of this is a headache as I usually use the one switch (new) 95% of the time and it does not appear to be dangerous and indication of any heating up of any of the switches or smoking or arcing. Just some strange behavior that makes no sense.
Thanks for your help.
Tom in Plano TX.
The wiring which is the original wiring has 3 different locations in the dining room where there are light switches. Previously any of the 3 would turn off or on the lights as one would expect.
I took the old switch off, went to Home Dept this morning and back with more newer 3 pole switches. Installed it and when I turned the power back on the lights were not on until I toggled the new switch in a downward position.
I tried the other 2 switches and they both turned the lights on or off. When I toggle the new switch to the upward position- then the other light switches would not work. I thought perhaps there was an assignment for the hot wires so I switched them out and the same thing happened. When I measured voltage on the hot wires. When the switch is in a downward position then there is no voltage coming to either side. In an upward position I get voltage on one side or the other depending on whether the lights are being controlled by the other 2 switches. None of this makes one ounce of sense. I did add a ground wire, but that would have zero to do with anything of this nature. I have attached photos of the front and back of the old and new switch. They are both simple 3 pole switches, although the older one does show it's age. If I turn it on via the new light switch and then turn it off with one of the other switches- then the new one does nothing in either an up or down position.
What gives? The new 3 pole switch is acting as an off and on vs what one would expect and not the same way it acted before. None of this is a headache as I usually use the one switch (new) 95% of the time and it does not appear to be dangerous and indication of any heating up of any of the switches or smoking or arcing. Just some strange behavior that makes no sense.
Thanks for your help.
Tom in Plano TX.
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