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cptnamr7 t1_j3ecih9 wrote

Reply to comment by CodyCodyCody in Replacing a light switch. Can I DIY or call for help? by CodyCodyCody

So right side the tab is still intact, so as long as that's power in, this wiring should work. However, if you're wrong on power and let's say the left black is power, this would make perfect sense- the red never sees power, which is likely your light then. Try swapping your blacks there.

One thing I forgot to mention with situations like this: since there's a red present and only one, you can bet that goes to the fan/light and is therefore not power. Which means the black that is part of that same run is ALSO not power. So by process of elimination, the other black is your power. It's also usually a good clue which one power is if there are a bunch of blacks together in a wirenut. No reason to have 4 runs to a single fan and the switch needs to interrupt power for it.

Sorry. Probably should have said all this earlier. Had just woken up from a nap and I have a young toddler so my brain is kinda fried at times

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CodyCodyCody OP t1_j3ecvou wrote

Thanks! So the one one the right is pigtailed to the hot in the wall, and the black and red are going up (I believe to the fan). Since that tab is there, they should be sharing the hot, right?

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cptnamr7 t1_j3ejaw1 wrote

Should be, and it looks like you put the wire on the screw rather than into the back, so no reason they wouldn't be sharing the hot then.

Since it's a light: is the bulb dead? Is there something going on at the fan end that you need to look at? If you're positive you have the hot correct then what you have is what should work. If the light is still out, look elsewhere.

You mentioned elsewhere a remote for the fan, so really you don't want the fan off a switch, you want it always live so the remote works. (Assuming you plan to use the remote) in which case you would just wire the fan line directly to the hot and install a single switch between hot and the light.

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CodyCodyCody OP t1_j3ee6j7 wrote

I also have a single switch, if that will work as well. The fan is remote controlled.

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cptnamr7 t1_j3eeuvz wrote

If the fan is remote controlled, you want to always have power to that portion, so no switch. Otherwise the remote only works if the switch is on.

I would verify which black the red is paired with and then you at least know which one runs to the fan and you're positive which one is hot.

Does the light work with BOTH switches on? You could be feeding power back thru the top one if, again, you have your blacks swapped

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CodyCodyCody OP t1_j3ek2fm wrote

The lights don’t work currently. The bottom one works, which turns the fan on and off. The top one does nothing, though I can verify that current is passing through with the voltage tester when switched on. Both the black wire and red wire on the right side seem to be going to the fan through the top left corner in the box. I can also verify that the black wire on the bottom right of the switch leads to the bundle of hot wires from the wall. Not sure what it was about the last switch that made the lights work…

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cptnamr7 t1_j3eltlv wrote

Time to open the fan/light and see if you can get continuity from the red line to where the lights are. I don't know of anything inside that switch that would have been doing anything at all besides simply being a switch.

Another option- red seems to be the light, right? Wire it directly to hot and see if you have a light. If not, your problem is elsewhere.

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cptnamr7 t1_j3em42z wrote

And I'm sure you've checked, but fans usually have a pull switch for the light. Make sure that hasn't been pulled, just in case. I know I've done that before

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CodyCodyCody OP t1_j3epjps wrote

Yeeeeeeeah I just found the remote for the fan and turned the lights on. Everything seems to work now! Though, the lights still work without the red switch on, but it works so I don’t think I should mess with it any more than I have lol

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cptnamr7 t1_j3erhky wrote

That just means the black line runs everything at the fan. But if you want the switch to work, you'll just have to open up the fan and split the wires off from being tied together is all. The red wire is likely there from a previous install and simply capped off inside the fan currently.

Glad you got it working instead of having to call someone though. Congrats

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CodyCodyCody OP t1_j3elppo wrote

Had a dummy moment. I used the remote to turn the lights on and they work! LOL

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