Electrical question......

[indyblue]

Red or white with tape are usually switched runners (also called travelers) for multi-way switch circuits. Not sure why yours has red if there is only one switch to the outlet.

3-wire cable allows red/black to be runners, but 3-wire cable being more expensive 2-wire is usually used instead and the white runner should be marked with tape to denote it is not neutral.

I am not an electrician so I don't know most of the tricks of the trade and common pratices for house wiring. I am an electronics technician though and understand how the circuits should work.

Glad you have it worked out, it is always annoying when a previous owner had unknown work done to wiring and something isn't wired to standards and doesn't work.

I have a similar situation now in my house. A 4-way circuit where only one runner goes hot and if the middle switch is in the other position the light does not come on using the other two switches. No red or taped whites in my house so troubleshooting is more difficult than it needs to be. It's a 50's house and tracing the runs is tricky.

 

[Bugzilla]

Is there really a way I could have screwed this up?

To answer your original question, yes, yes you could.

 

[actaeon277]

If you don't know electrical, get someone who does (when working on electricity)

I don't say this to be mean.
I say this because it kills people and burns down houses.

Granted, I've seen electricians do some silly stuff also.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Granted, I've seen electricians do some silly stuff also.

Have a buddy that was an electrician. He would work with hot circuits without even turning off the breaker.

 

[actaeon277]

Have a buddy that was an electrician. He would work with hot circuits without even turning off the breaker.

That's not what I'm talking about.
That I've seen for 30 years. Well, at least till the end.
They're not shutting down the process at work because in indicator socket needs to be changed. I've even soldered hot equipment.
Now they're a bit more serious about safety.

 

[Lpherr]

Have a buddy that was an electrician. He would work with hot circuits without even turning off the breaker.

I've done that a couple of times. Once intentionally and another time not so much.
It's a bit of a surprise. A friend touched a 220 circuit once, and he said things tasted funny for a while.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've done that a couple of times. Once intentionally and another time not so much.
It's a bit of a surprise. A friend touched a 220 circuit once, and he said things tasted funny for a while.

This buddy of mine got hit by a high voltage line once (much higher than 220 I guess). Blew a hole in his forearm!

 

[jkaetz]

So what's with all the blue/brown/yellow nonsense I see with lights and fans lately?

 

[Lpherr]

This buddy of mine got hit by a high voltage line once (much higher than 220 I guess). Blew a hole in his forearm!

I've seen pics of that. I heard the current likes to escape through the joints, so it takes out elbows a lot.
Being a lineman, is not want I wanted to grow up to be.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've seen pics of that. I heard the current likes to escape through the joints, so it takes out elbows a lot.
Being a lineman, is not want I wanted to grow up to be.

I guess once you've been hit with something like that, a little zap from 110/120 is no big deal.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

If you don't know electrical, get someone who does (when working on electricity)

I don't say this to be mean.
I say this because it kills people and burns down houses.

Granted, I've seen electricians do some silly stuff also.

I'm adding a circuit in my house soon. While I'm sure I could do it, and am probably going to be doing it. If I do I'm having someone who knows what they are doing looking over my shoulder, literally. I may just run the wires and have someone make the actual connections though for insurance reasons.

This buddy of mine got hit by a high voltage line once (much higher than 220 I guess). Blew a hole in his forearm!

Brother in law was doing an outside contractor job at the mill and installing a new AC unit on an overhead crane. Something wasn't locked out that should have been. 480v iirc went through two fingers and out his palm. Had a hole about the size of a half dollar. He said he went to move something out of the way and next thing he knew he was flat on his back about 10ft away wondering what in the hell.

 

[Jaybird1980]

So what's with all the blue/brown/yellow nonsense I see with lights and fans lately?

Are you talking about ceiling fans?

 

[HoughMade]

Have a buddy that was an electrician. He would work with hot circuits without even turning off the breaker.

A lot of electricians do that. The super-careful ones use 1 hand when they are doing it, but most don't.

 

[Lpherr]

A lot of electricians do that. The super-careful ones use 1 hand when they are doing it, but most don't.

What is only one hand supposed to do?

 

[Jaybird1980]

I'm adding a circuit in my house soon. While I'm sure I could do it, and am probably going to be doing it. If I do I'm having someone who knows what they are doing looking over my shoulder, literally. I may just run the wires and have someone make the actual connections though for insurance reasons.

If you're already going to get someone involved, get them in loved before running the wires. There are some things that running the wires in a certain manner make the job easier.

 

[Lpherr]

If you're already going to get someone involved, get them in loved before running the wires. There are some things that running the wires in a certain manner make the job easier.

Yep, letting someone else do it.

 

[Jaybird1980]

What is only one hand supposed to do?

You don't accidentally ground yourself with the other.
I've worked on a lot of live electric, most electricians have. If it's a pretty involved job I do really prefer to kill the circuit though.

 

[Lpherr]

You don't accidentally ground yourself with the other.
I've worked on a lot of live electric, most electricians have. If it's a pretty involved job I do really prefer to kill the circuit though.

You are grounded by standing on the ground. Touch the hot side of a light switch with just one hand. It's still going to bite you.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Yep, letting someone else do it.

No, I have no problem with wanting to do some of the work. I just never liked when I show up to help someone that is doing wiring and they already have wires ran in a fashion that isn't really that well thought out.

If you're going to have to get someone involved anyways, ask them about layout. Sometimes it really doesn't matter, other times it does

 

[HoughMade]

What is only one hand supposed to do?

Supposed to keep the electricity from flowing across the chest...where certain electrically operated, life giving organs pump should one hand touch the hot and the other be grounded. A shock that stays in the hand just unpleasant (the shoes are insulated, right?).