Any electricians or electrical experts out there? I have a problem.

[Doggiedog]

I was installing a 3-way light dimmer but the wiring in my house is all screwed up with white, green, copper, red and black wires everywhere. After trying a combination, the circuit popped and my breakers went off.

Finally giving up, I returned to the regular 1 way switch (for some reason, it's a 3 way light using one way switches). After powering the house back up, a circuit that runs through 2 bathrooms seems to have gone off and despite resetting all of the breakers, doesn't turn back on. I have 2 GFCI outlets in the bathrooms and tried resetting them but nothing works. I have a feeling it has something to do with the GFCI outlets. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Analog]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
I was installing a 3-way light dimmer but the wiring in my house is all screwed up with white, green, copper, red and black wires everywhere. After trying a combination, the circuit popped and my breakers went off.

Finally giving up, I returned to the regular 1 way switch (for some reason, it's a 3 way light using one way switches). After powering the house back up, a circuit that runs through 2 bathrooms seems to have gone off and despite resetting all of the breakers, doesn't turn back on. I have 2 GFCI outlets in the bathrooms and tried resetting them but nothing works. I have a feeling it has something to do with the GFCI outlets. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

For the GFCI circuit, are you sure you wired the original 2 way correctly?

2nd question - why did you try to put a 3 way light dimmer in place of a 2 way switch in the first place?

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
I was installing a 3-way light dimmer but the wiring in my house is all screwed up with white, green, copper, red and black wires everywhere. After trying a combination, the circuit popped and my breakers went off.

Finally giving up, I returned to the regular 1 way switch (for some reason, it's a 3 way light using one way switches). After powering the house back up, a circuit that runs through 2 bathrooms seems to have gone off and despite resetting all of the breakers, doesn't turn back on. I have 2 GFCI outlets in the bathrooms and tried resetting them but nothing works. I have a feeling it has something to do with the GFCI outlets. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

For the GFCI circuit, are you sure you wired the original 2 way correctly?

2nd question - why did you try to put a 3 way light dimmer in place of a 2 way switch in the first place?

Yes for question one. I wired them exactly like the original GFCIs. And for two, I mispoke, there are 2 one ways that were on that lightswitch originally. They were old and painted over. I wanted to put a 2 new two ways with dimmers in. The wiring in this entire house is screwy. When I spoke with the contractor who helped me fix up the place, he said the wiring was messed up. In fact, when I changed a ceiling light, after installing the new one, I looked at the old one and the wires were shredded and exposed. Anyhow, I gave up with the new dimmers and left it the way it was before. The old lightswitch works but now the bathroom lights don't turn on and they are on a different circuit. Any ideas?

 

[Analog]

sounds like the neutrals may be crossed. A GFCI needs to have its own dedicated neutral wire (white), because it compares the current going through the hot (black) and neutral. If there is a difference in current, it assumes someone is getting shocked by shunting some of the current through their body, rather than through the wire, and then shuts that circuit off. So my advice is to go back and make double sure the neutrals were wired to the correct switches, and also not "bundled" together, like other circuits are allowed to do. I'm still not clear on the reason you picked a 3 way over a two way. Three way switches are generally used where you have two light switches controlling a single light.

 

[TheFirm]

heres what i think
white=neutral
red=hot
green=ground
copper=ground
black=hot

this what i think grab a meter and check

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: TheFirm
heres what i think
white=neutral
red=hot
green=ground
copper=ground
black=hot

this what i think grab a meter and check

Thanks for the help.

I don't think white was neutral though because one time I connected it and sparks shot out of it. Every outlet seemed to have a different hot or neutral.

BTW: I fixed the problem. I had capped off a third black line in a different switch. For some reason, that one little line affected my entire bathroom circuit. After reconnecting it to the lightswitch, the other circuit worked again. Go figure.