I am trying to install a motion activated light switch in my basement of my condo in the United States. On the switch it states that it's max load is 500 watts which should be plenty since the switch itself as far as I'm aware only controls 5 lights in my basement which are at max 60 watts combined.
The switch that I got has 4 wires, a red load a white neutral a green ground and a black hot wire. In the gang box of my basement, when I took the current switch out, this is what I saw:
In the above photos, you can see three separate groups of wires each with white insulation on the three groups of wires within the gang box. Within each of the three groups, there is one black wire, one white wire and one ground. The three white wires were not in use by the previous switch so they were all joined together and a wire nut was used. I saw that the three grounds from the three separate groups were all combined and connected to the bottom ground of the previous light switch. Two black wires were connected to one black wire clamp while one other black wire was connected to another black wire clamp.
I never came across something like this before but I attempted to connect the new switch to this wiring. Below is a picture of the new switch wiring I am trying to put in.
When I took all the wires off of the old switch, I turned the circuit back on and I found that the entire circuit was not complete since I found that this one circuit energized my living room and basement, even though this switch only powers 5 lights in my basement. I was wondering, since there is a sump pump on the circuit (but not controlled by the light switch), would this light switch not be able to handle the sump pump kicking on?
Since I never came across a gang box like this before, I was wondering, it is possible to safely wire this new switch in? If so, how would I go about doing so? Thank you.
EDIT: Also, when I use a non-contact voltage tester, it appears as though only one black wire out of the three groups is hot when the circuit is flipped on.
Also, here is a link to the switch that I am trying to install https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0752W92LJ/?tag=stackoverfl08-20
Best Answer
I see where you took the 2 blacks that had been on the same terminal of the old switch, and joined them with a wire nut. Good instincts.
Now, as you observed, the cables coming into the box had exactly the same color scheme- 1 black 1 white 1 bare. That is how cables are made. The colors indicate nothing about the purpose/function of the wire, however white must be used for neutral if neutral is present. So there's that. If you want color coding by function, you must re-mark the wires e.g. With colored tape. That is exactly what I want you to do.
Take the remaining solo wire and mark it with red electrical tape. I like red for switched-hot, and so does everyone else including your switch.
As it happens, the blacks and whites are color coded correctly (black=always-hot).
Now, they're color coded. Match 'em up EXCEPT STOP. DO NOT HOOK UP RED.
Now, see if the switch will power up. If it does, then shut off power again and hook up red; you're done.
Now, we are all assuming the usual situation, where supply comes in on one cable, and always-on power is carried onward down another cable. Given you have at least 5 lights here, it's possible that 2 strings of lights branch from the switch, and we have it all backwards. In that case, the solo black is supply, and the two blacks together are to-the-lamp and ought to be red. In that case, hooking the switch black to the solo black will make it power up. Then mark the other two blacks red and onward!