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Now, what does this light switch control...

I Saw OJ

I Saw OJ

Diamond Member
The wife and I recently moved into a rental house, everything is great except I cant figure out what on earth this one light switch controls. Its in our main living room on a bank with another switch. It doesn't control the overhead light, lights outside, or any of the wall sockets...its gotta control something! Just what is it. land lord has no idea what it controls either.

Any DIY electricians that have any tips on how to locate what this switch controls without tearing up too much of the walls? I come home everyday and it just mocks me...
 
I Saw OJ said:
There is a ceiling fan/light combo in the room which it does not control. They are always "on" and operated with the pull chains.
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Perhaps there was a previous fan/fixture there that used the second switch, but it was replaced with the current one that doesn't.
 
it probably controls one of the outlets in the room. that way you could plug a lamp into it and turn it off and on via the switch. i have several outlets in my house that do this.
 
Quick way to confirm that it's actually controlling something, open it up, turn it off, and put an amp meter between the two screws of the switch. If you get a reading it's controlling an actual load somewhere. Though if it's controlling something without a load such as outlets or a light that is burnt you wont get a reading.

Also when testing outlets test the top and bottom. Often they are split so that one is controlled by the switch and the other isin't.
 
Red Squirrel said:
Quick way to confirm that it's actually controlling something, open it up, turn it off, and put an amp meter between the two screws of the switch. If you get a reading it's controlling an actual load somewhere. Though if it's controlling something without a load such as outlets or a light that is burnt you wont get a reading.

Also when testing outlets test the top and bottom. Often they are split so that one is controlled by the switch and the other isin't.
Click to expand...

I'll do that with the meter, thanks. I've tested all the outlets in the room with a lamp and none respond to the switch.

Crusty said:
Sounds like whoever installed the fan was lazy and didn't hook it up to the switch.
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I was thinking that also, the fan is newer looking compared to the rest of the stuff in the house.
 
I have literally 2 light switches in my flat that don't seem to control anything. I just leave them in the "on" position, just in case.
 
Where I live, any electrical outlet on the outside of the house is supposed to be controlled by a switch inside. Do you have such an outside outlet nearby?
 
I Saw OJ said:
The wife and I recently moved into a rental house, everything is great except I cant figure out what on earth this one light switch controls. Its in our main living room on a bank with another switch. It doesn't control the overhead light, lights outside, or any of the wall sockets...its gotta control something! Just what is it. land lord has no idea what it controls either.

Any DIY electricians that have any tips on how to locate what this switch controls without tearing up too much of the walls? I come home everyday and it just mocks me...
Click to expand...

Do you have oil heat? Could be a burner override switch.
 
Paperdoc said:
Where I live, any electrical outlet on the outside of the house is supposed to be controlled by a switch inside. Do you have such an outside outlet nearby?
Click to expand...

I came here to say that it could control an outlet but I've also seen this for indoor outlets plenty of times (control an outlet for a standing reading lamp next to a couch, for example).

Edit: Oh, and I really wish I could find a scan of the Earthworm Jim manual for SNES. The X button had no function so the page showing what each button did said something like "the X button turns on Mrs. Schultz's porch light in Germany... SO STOP PRESSING IT!"
 
Last edited:
Paperdoc said:
Where I live, any electrical outlet on the outside of the house is supposed to be controlled by a switch inside. Do you have such an outside outlet nearby?
Click to expand...

this, light switch in my living room controls the outlet just outside the front door 😵
 
Al Bundy never figured it out. Bob Rooney wound up stuck in the wall trying to figure it out.Al got out of bed,flipped the switch and the audience saw the light going on and off in the doghouse.
 
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