[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

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!

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.

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. :-(

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
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