Old garage light fixture with no sign of existing switch
[Original thread posted 7/2/10 under same subject line.]
Here's a long term follow-up for anyone who recalls this old thread or might stumble onto it trying to fix a similar problem. It turned out that the single inside garage wall switch DID indeed control the outside and inside garage lights simultaneously. Kind of an odd setup, but it can be mitigated with a separate switch inside if you don't want both lights on at once. It seems to have been an unlucky coincidence of a test bulb burning out right after being screwed in (outside), giving the false impression that the switch was unrelated. That, combined with being told it hadn't worked in decades! We just got around to checking it again (became a high priority) and the lesson is to double-check a test bulb, even if it worked minutes before. Never assume, in other words! Jim |
Old garage light fixture with no sign of existing switch
On May 23, 2:45*am, Jim wrote:
[Original thread posted 7/2/10 under same subject line.] Here's a long term follow-up for anyone who recalls this old thread or might stumble onto it trying to fix a similar problem. It turned out that the single inside garage wall switch DID indeed control the outside and inside garage lights simultaneously. Kind of an odd setup, but it can be mitigated with a separate switch inside if you don't want both lights on at once. It seems to have been an unlucky coincidence of a test bulb burning out right after being screwed in (outside), giving the false impression that the switch was unrelated. That, combined with being told it hadn't worked in decades! We just got around to checking it again (became a high priority) and the lesson is to double-check a test bulb, even if it worked minutes before. Never assume, in other words! Jim That's why those no-contact testers are so handy! |
Old garage light fixture with no sign of existing switch
On 5/23/2011 3:45 AM, Jim wrote:
[Original thread posted 7/2/10 under same subject line.] Here's a long term follow-up for anyone who recalls this old thread or might stumble onto it trying to fix a similar problem. It turned out that the single inside garage wall switch DID indeed control the outside and inside garage lights simultaneously. Kind of an odd setup, but it can be mitigated with a separate switch inside if you don't want both lights on at once. It seems to have been an unlucky coincidence of a test bulb burning out right after being screwed in (outside), giving the false impression that the switch was unrelated. That, combined with being told it hadn't worked in decades! We just got around to checking it again (became a high priority) and the lesson is to double-check a test bulb, even if it worked minutes before. Never assume, in other words! Jim ggg That stuff does happen, doesn't it. I can see it wired that way too, owner or electrician too lazy or not skilled enough to wire in another switch. -- I'm never going to grow up. |
Old garage light fixture with no sign of existing switch
PeterD wrote:
I can see it wired that way too, owner or electrician too lazy or not skilled enough to wire in another switch. No, it's more likely WHEN it was wired. At one time there was so little crime in the suburbs and they were not worried about someone tripping in front of their garage and suing them, that they did not leave the lights on. In those days, either you left the light on when you went out at night, or you pulled up in the driveway and honked your horn for your stay-at-home-mom wife to turn on the light. If you had street lights and no one home, you pulled up in the driveway, got out of the car, opened the garge door, turned on the light and went in. After parking the car and going into the house, the light went out. Later really rich people bought electronic garage door openers, which did the same thing. Look at the old TV shows, such as Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, or the Dick van Dyke Show. Geoff. -- Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM It's amazing how many people have no clue what the word "contiguous" means. :-( |
Old garage light fixture with no sign of existing switch
In article , Jim wrote: Here's a long term follow-up for anyone who recalls this old thread or might stumble onto it trying to fix a similar problem. Thanks, Jim... that was a bit of a puzzler! We just got around to checking it again (became a high priority) and the lesson is to double-check a test bulb, even if it worked minutes before. Never assume, in other words! Or (worded in a slightly different way)... *do* assume that Murphy will show up at the most inconvenient of times! -- Dave Platt AE6EO Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |
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