I have 3 light switches and one regular ceiling light currently in my living room. One of them is a light/fan switch and two of them (in a 2 gang box) are pretty old and I am not sure what they are for (as they do not do anything). The ceiling light box has 2 hots (fan/light), a neutral and a ground.
I removed the old light switches to see what is going on one of them said it was a 3 way switch (strange because it only 2 screws) and they were wired pretty strangely as one hot wire was wrapped around both switches (see pictures). I would like to replace the fan/light switch with a dimmer switch as well as figure out what those 2 switches are for. I have a feeling the old light switches are a 3 way for the light fixture, but not sure how it would work.
Thanks for all of the help
Best Answer
You have a dangerous situation.
While it may not be knob and tube (an old standard that often poses serious risk), you have cloth covered wiring that is obviously deteriorating, posing a risk of short circuits and fire. For example, in the upper picture, the switch on the right has exposed wire that is a shock and fire hazard.
We could try to diagnose the switching issues (e.g., there are no three way switches illustrated), but you have a more basic problem. This is probably the time to call in a professional to discuss replacing some of this very risky stuff.