Yet another "old house wiring" thread

Switches Wiring Discussion
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Hi there @Bry , since you completely nailed my previous problem, thought i’d try again. This one should theoretically be simpler…i’m saving the hardest (a 2-gang that houses a second “dumb” switch powering an exterior light) for last.

This one’s in my bedroom - we’ve got another “outlet and switch” scenario. The outlet:

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There are two lines going out the top, two going out the bottom. The two that are adjacent to each other in the bottom of the photo are wired together, i just removed the nut for the photo.

The switchbox end:

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I learned about using the multimeter to test what goes to what using the resistance setting per this video i found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLA5u8BJrwg , and the numbered wires in the outlet and the switch photos correspond to one another. So as near as i can tell, the wiring goes like this:

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How should the switch be wired up in this scenario?

Thanks a billion as always!

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I’m going to guess you’ve got 2 mislabelled here.
2 should be going out the top of the box alongside 1.

Looks like you have a 2 wire coming into the outlet box from below, and a 2 wire going from the outlet box on the top to the switch.

Using your meter, you should be able to confirm which one coming in from below is hot and which one is neutral.

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I wouldn’t be surprised if your were correct. I’ll double check as soon as I get back home.

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Yeah, let’s not go crazy with the numbering here. At the receptacle box you have a top pair and a bottom pair. Test across the black and white for each pair and let me know which is hot, top or bottom.

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I am presuming one of those pairs will be hot. It doesn’t really matter which one it is. Since you have a single two conductor in the switch box, you more than likely have a switch loop.

If the receptacle is split, replace it.

If the receptacle is not split, connect the two blacks to the brass side screws and the two whites to the neutral side screws. What this does is send a hot and neutral back to the switch box.

Once you have the receptacle wired, test the black and white in the switch box and you should have 120 VAC. Since your boxes are not grounded, I would also use your proximity pen to make sure that the black is hot, and not the white.

If that is the case, black to the Line on the Inovelli and white to the Neutral on the Inovelli.

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Sounds good bry - the box is as you describe so i’ll proceed and report back!

7

Another rousing success! Pretty pleased how much easier that one was. I’ve got one more to go - Another “switch controls the outlet” but with the extra wrinkle that it’s in a 2-gang with a dumb switch that controls an outdoor light. Do you want me to start a separate thread or just continue here?

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Yep, this one was easy because it is on the end of the run.

Yes, let’s keep these separate. Please start a new thread.

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Will do. I’ll start it up in the morning when the light in that room is better when the breaker is off :slight_smile:
Thanks again!

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