I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside the
front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you to turn
the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you flip it from
any approach to the garage, the result should be the same. The switch just
inside the front door had become very iffy and we both decided another switch
was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two white
wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that connected to
the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch... just like the old
switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just fine but we later found it
now acted as a sort of master switch. The other switches were no longer able to
turn on the lights unless this new switch was also turned on. What in the hell
happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an identical
way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have been just a
simple swap.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

Did you purchase a 4-way switch?

This is a four way switch. Some four way switches wire top to bottom, and
some side to side. If you attached the R and W from one cable to the top of
the switch, and the R and W from the other cable to the bottom of the
switch, try removing them and installing one set to the left side and the
other set to the right side



"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
...
I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside
the front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you
to turn the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you
flip it from any approach to the garage, the result should be the same.
The switch just inside the front door had become very iffy and we both
decided another switch was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an
identical way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have
been just a simple swap.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
...
I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside
the front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you
to turn the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you
flip it from any approach to the garage, the result should be the same.
The switch just inside the front door had become very iffy and we both
decided another switch was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an
identical way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have
been just a simple swap.


Did you look at the switch and see how the wires were connected ? While you
may have connected them to the same color screws, you may have them under
the wrong screw of the same color.

Another possibility is that he bought a double pole switch instead of a four
way switch. A double pole toggle switch will say "on" "off" on the handle.
This would be the wrong switch for this application, although it looks
identical to a four way switch



"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
...
I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside
the front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you
to turn the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you
flip it from any approach to the garage, the result should be the same.
The switch just inside the front door had become very iffy and we both
decided another switch was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an
identical way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have
been just a simple swap.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

been there, done that. sigh


"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
Another possibility is that he bought a double pole switch instead of a
four way switch. A double pole toggle switch will say "on" "off" on the
handle. This would be the wrong switch for this application, although it
looks identical to a four way switch

On Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:36:20 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

Another possibility is that he bought a double pole switch instead of a four
way switch. A double pole toggle switch will say "on" "off" on the handle.
This would be the wrong switch for this application, although it looks
identical to a four way switch


I never knew they made double pole switches for home wiring. What
application would they be used for?



"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
...
I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside
the front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you
to turn the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you
flip it from any approach to the garage, the result should be the same.
The switch just inside the front door had become very iffy and we both
decided another switch was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an
identical way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have
been just a simple swap.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

In article , wrote:
On Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:36:20 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

Another possibility is that he bought a double pole switch instead of a four
way switch. A double pole toggle switch will say "on" "off" on the handle.
This would be the wrong switch for this application, although it looks
identical to a four way switch


I never knew they made double pole switches for home wiring. What
application would they be used for?

Switching 240V loads

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

one application i've seen it in, is a 220v light circuit.

s


wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:36:20 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

Another possibility is that he bought a double pole switch instead of a
four
way switch. A double pole toggle switch will say "on" "off" on the handle.
This would be the wrong switch for this application, although it looks
identical to a four way switch


I never knew they made double pole switches for home wiring. What
application would they be used for?



"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
...
I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just
inside
the front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow
you
to turn the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether
you
flip it from any approach to the garage, the result should be the same.
The switch just inside the front door had become very iffy and we both
decided another switch was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two
white wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that
connected to the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch...
just like the old switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just
fine but we later found it now acted as a sort of master switch. The
other switches were no longer able to turn on the lights unless this new
switch was also turned on. What in the hell happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an
identical way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should
have
been just a simple swap.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

Mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

On Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:10:56 -0400, Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

I'm visiting my dad and he asked me to swap out a light switch just inside the
front door down stairs. There are three light switches that allow you to turn
the downstairs (garage) lights on so it doesn't matter whether you flip it from
any approach to the garage, the result should be the same. The switch just
inside the front door had become very iffy and we both decided another switch
was necessary.

He bought another on-off switch and I swapped them out. There were two white
wires that I connected to the brass screws and two red wires that connected to
the silver colored screws on the sides of the new switch... just like the old
switch was set up. Initially, it seemed to work just fine but we later found it
now acted as a sort of master switch. The other switches were no longer able to
turn on the lights unless this new switch was also turned on. What in the hell
happened?

I swear there were only the four wires and that I connected them in an identical
way to the original switch.... white to brass. This should have been just a
simple swap.




Are you sure the old switch wasn't either a 3-way or 4-way switch? You
state that there are 3 light switches, an indication that you might need a
4-way switch.

i think that was a given, seeing as how he said it had FOUR wires hooked to
it.

s


"franz frippl" wrote in message
. ..

Are you sure the old switch wasn't either a 3-way or 4-way switch? You
state that there are 3 light switches, an indication that you might need a
4-way switch.

In article , "Steve Barker LT" wrote:
i think that was a given, seeing as how he said it had FOUR wires hooked to
it.

Yep, and I'll bet that the replacement is a standard DPST toggle switch.

For the OP:

Both types of switches have four screw terminals, arranged thus:
A B
C D

A four-way switch (which is what you removed), in one position connects A to C
and B to D, and in the other position, connects A to D and B to C.

What I think you probably put in, a DPST toggle switch, in one position
connects A to C and B to D, and in the other position, connects *nothing*.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.