A number of years ago I made the effort to get some training on basic home electrical so that I could install lights, dimmers, etc. by myself and use Professional Electricians for the complex stuff.
I have a 1957 home with original wiring – new circuits have been added as well as a new main box. I converted a small main floor bedroom to a Laundry Utility and had a professional electrician do the wiring. But not I want to relocate a wall switch to a more convenient location. In the past, I've used wireless relay/switches to relocate wall switches. Typically its quick and easy. But with this house I've encountered something I'm not familiar with. The original wall switch has the std two wire black (load) and red (on/off) and functions just fine. The junction box with the switch also has yellow wires that are attached to each other. I'm thinking the yellow wires control the wall outlets. (didn't check wall outlets to determine how they were switched top/bottom/both.) The wireless relay switch I'm trying to install has 3 wires- red/black/white.
My question involves the neutral white wire and how to wire it to the current switch wires. I know the black and red corresponding wires need to be connected, but do I include the white wire w/the two black wires? Or, do I wire the white wire to the two yellow wires tucked in the junction box?
I'd appreciate any help folks may have. Thanks.
Best Answer
Sounds like a commonplace switch arrangement to me, the kind where the power comes to the switch and then to the lamp. This is the simplest type (in tems of understanding it) where hot+neutral come first to the switch, hot is switched, then switched-hot+neutral proceed to the lamp.
Yellow is rarely seen in residential wiring. I think they are actually white, but faded. One is neutral from the panel and the other is neutral to the lamp.
If I'm right, you're in luck: you have the exact wires the smart switch requires. (Which is often not the case.)