Wiring advice

[ironsniper1]

just tried my multi meter and the only thing that happend was it flashed 1 and beeped on every wire i put it on

[nightrunner]

Power on and meter set on 120v+ correct?

[ironsniper1]

Power on and meter set on 120v+ correct?

correct, though i turned the light off and put both leads on the black wires and got about 125v

 

EDIT: this is the meter i have http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Commercial-Electric-HDM-4400-Digital-Multimeter-23-Range-7-Function-/151059804889 its a cheapy not one of those nice $100+ fluke meters

Edited September 25, 2014 by luke9511

[dralarms]

Then one black wire should be "feed" and the other neutral. Do you have a ground in your system? "Green or bare wire hooked to the back of the box"

[ironsniper1]

Then one black wire should be "feed" and the other neutral. Do you have a ground in your system? "Green or bare wire hooked to the back of the box"

if you mean the light switch no, if you mean the fuse box that i dont know

[Omega]

This may help, pics always do.

[ironsniper1]

This may help, pics always do.

if i try that i will need to desolder the red and white wires but it is worth a shot unless someone else comes up with something else

[Omega]

if i try that i will need to desolder the red and white wires but it is worth a shot unless someone else comes up with something else

No, this shows you the relationship of the wires. Your white and two black wires should be the same as the white, black and red in the pic. You just need to id which wires equals the three in the pic and connect them accordingly.

[dralarms]

If I was closer, I'd come and help. 3 ways are a pain but can be hooked up correctly in short order.

[ironsniper1]

i will unhook the wires again tomorrow and test some more and see what i find

[peejman]

if you mean the light switch no, if you mean the fuse box that i dont know

 

 

Is it really a fuse box, or does it have breakers?

 

 

Fuses:

 

 

 

 

Breakers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the house has old style fuses and we already know it has cloth wrapped wiring....   If this is a place you intend to live in for any length of time, I'd call an electrician and get the whole house rewired.  The cloth wire insulation dries out over time and can become a fire hazard. 

[McGarrett]

They are giving you sound advice. If you can open up everything and id the wires and then everyone can talk you through it from there. 

[ironsniper1]

ok which would be best/safest testing with the power on or off, i dont mind either way

[nightrunner]

Power off, its slower but better. If its on its possible to damage the switch by the wires arcing when you put the wires on the screw.

[ironsniper1]

ok so i did my testing and here is what i found, i am attaching a picture and all 3 wires are numbered 1,2,3 now when i put the + lead on wire 3 and the - lead on wire 1 i get a reading of 88.8v, when i put the + lead on wire 3 and the - lead on wire 2 i get 10v and last when i put the leads on wires 1 and 2 i get a reading of 124v

Edited September 25, 2014 by luke9511

[nightrunner]

Number 2 is the power, it goes on the black screw. Edited September 25, 2014 by nightrunner

[ironsniper1]

Number 2 is the power, it goes on the black screw.

yup that's where it was at

[nightrunner]

Did all of this work before you started replacing the switches?

[ironsniper1]

Did all of this work before you started replacing the switches?

yes but one switch stopped working and it was replaced and that's when all this started

[nightrunner]

Did you do the testing with the other switch connected to the wires?

[ironsniper1]

Did you do the testing with the other switch connected to the wires?

not yet give me 10 minutes

[RagTop454]

Sounds like it's been wired up right.  Could the "other" switch be bad (the one that wasn't just replaced)?  Easy to check with the VOM.

 

Glenn

[ironsniper1]

ok heres what i found with the wires at the switch at the bottom of the stairs, again picture is attached and they are numbered 1,2,3 now with the - lead on wire 3 and + lead on wire 1 i get 20.2v, with the - lead on wire 3 and + lead on wire 2 i get 00.9, with the - lead on wire 2 and + lead on wire 1 i get 20.6v

Edited September 25, 2014 by luke9511

[R_Bert]

ok heres what i found with the wires at the switch at the bottom of the stairs, again picture is attached and they are numbered 1,2,3 now with the - lead on wire 3 and + lead on wire 1 i get 20.2v, with the - lead on wire 3 and + lead on wire 2 i get 00.9, with the - lead on wire 2 and + lead on wire 1 i get 20.6v

Suggest that for clarity, you label the second switch 4,5, & 6

 

and summarize in list, the readings

ex.

1-

2-

3-..........

Edited September 25, 2014 by R_Bert

[ironsniper1]

i will fix that later as i have to haul some stuff to the dump, but those readings seem really low for that switch or maybe i just dont know a whole lot