gonadman

Thought you could all have a laugh at my stupidity.

I needed an extra outlet in my bathroom. The area I wanted it was right underneath a double wall switch so I figured, no problem, I'll just pull it off a switch. So I installed the outlet and ran the wire into the switch box. One switch was for the light, the other for the fan. Since the light switch had several circuits going through it and the fan switch only had one, I hooked the wire into the fan switch hot lead. It was tough to tell which wire was black or white since they were all spraypainted, but I took my best guess.

Once everything was done and I turned the breaker on, I checked the outlet with an LED tester and realized the polarity was reversed, so I opened it up and switched the leads at the outlet. Now everything checked out and the light and fan worked well.

So I went to clean up the drywall powder and plugged the vacuum cleaner into my new outlet. I turned on the cleaner and heard only the sound of the fan come on....

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For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

clavus

Excellent.

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Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

nosuchuserexist

hehe...DIY electrical is always fun.

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"I run good but I'm hard to start. And my brakes are bad so I'm hard to stop."
-Mark Sandman - Vocalist, Morphine

Paradise Lost

Sounds like something I would do.

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"Marino could do it."

kazoo

Black and white at a switch doesn't necessarily mean hot and neutral present-it sometimes means hot only, as it is a switch leg from the device (fan or light).

That's what this sounds like, as your vacuum was acting like a switch and closing the circuit for the fan.

If there are no neutrals present in the box, you're stuck unless you can fish in a new branch feeder.

Some customers wonder why I won't quote a "simple job" over the phone. This is one of the many reasons.

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There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

qtpye4u84

that sucks. Well, at least dry wall is easy to brake lol...

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The QTpie

shakran

What Kazoo said. Get the switch out and look behind it. THey might have tied the white wire off behind the switch.

I would also encourage you to go out and get the Black and Decker basic wiring book. You can get 'em at just about any hardware store. It's very well put together and will help you identify and work with just about anything you'll face in normal jobs.

And of course, never forget that even when you shut the breaker off, you should consider the power to still be on and take appropriate precautions.

Bobaphat

and thats why I pay a professional. I don't mind changing out a bad switch or replacing a fixture, but I won't go much past that. (That being said, anyone know anyone in the Seattle area who can install some recessed can lights for cheap? :-) )

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--size matters not-- yoda

gonadman

Thanks for the advise Kazoo. I think I mistook the switch leg for a neutral and ended up bypassing the switch with my outlet. I'm pretty sure theres a neutral in there, so I'll try again tomorrow.

You shoulda seen the look on my wife's face when I turned that vacuum on- Priceless!

BTW Shakran, I have that book. I just never bother looking in it!

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For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

gonadman

Hey, I'll do it for ya.....Course, your toilet may flush when you flip on the light......

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For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

kazoo

You're making me remember the 3 Stooges episode where they go into the home improvement business and succeed in basically trashing a lovely home.

If memory serves, one scene has Curly flipping a light switch and water squirts out of the dining room chandelier.

Hey Moe! Hey Moe!

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There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

Bill O'Rights

I KNOW that look!

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

Kllr Wolf

That is great. It would make a great practical joke. wire up a room so nothing works as expected.

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