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PSA: That 'simple' three-way switch replacement in a 1970s Denver bungalow took me 4 hours
The homeowner said it was just a bad switch, but the wiring was a rat's nest of cloth-covered wire and a hidden junction box behind the drywall. I spent most of that time just tracing which black wire was actually the constant hot, because nothing was labeled. Has anyone else had a '30 minute' job blow up because of old, messed up switch loops?
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henry6041mo ago
My buddy's 1940s house had a switch that just stopped working last month. He found three junction boxes hidden above the light fixture, exactly like @hollyg59 said about the hot being on the white wire. That simple swap took him all Saturday and two trips to the hardware store.
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hollyg591mo ago
Ugh, did you at least have a non-contact voltage tester? I've learned to map everything with tape and a sharpie before I even take the old switch off. Those old cloth wires crumble if you look at them wrong, and half the time the hot is on the white wire.
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