ON/OFF wall switch 2477S

[teverk]

I am trying to upgrade my garage on/off switch with the Insteon 2477S switch. Wiring in the switch box has 2 black and 1 red wire, there is a white taped wiring that is behind the switch not used for this switch, I have voltage tested the wiring, between the 2 black wires I show 118V on the meter. No matter what wiring configuration I use it doesent work, I have even hooked up the white (netural) wire of the switch to the white taped wire in the switch box ,no difference.  House was built in the 60's. Any ideas??

[Guy Lavoie]

44 minutes ago, teverk said:

there is a white taped wiring that is behind the switch not used for this switch

Careful, an unused white wire, plus the presence of a red wire could indicate that there is 240 volts there. Is there any electric heating in the garage?

Does the red wire go to one of the screws on the switch? How many screw terminals are on the switch, 2 or 3? How many cables come into the switch box?

So there are two white wires (one taped and one going to the switch). The one going to the switch is not necessarily a neutral. It could be the switched leg going to the light. That's almost certainly the case if there are two wires (black and white) going to the switch and both wires are in the same cable. You really need to tell us what goes where, all the wires.

Edited December 3 by Guy Lavoie

[paulbates]

In addition to Guy's comments, can you say what the previous switch was and how the wires were connected to it? Is it a 3 way in concert with another switch?

[teverk]

Guy,

No Electric heating in the garage and not aware of 220 in the garage. . The old switch has 3 screw terminals, and 4 places you can insert the wire into the back of the switch,  just push the wire into the switch instead of the screw terminls. 2  holes in the switch show "Comon" the red wire in the box does go to the old switch. Both black wires and the red wire in the switch box were going to the old switch, the white wire (2 soldered) were  taped behind the switch (not being used for this switch).  This switch is just a on/off switch for 2 light bulbs  on the ceiling. This switch is the only switch I am aware of to turn the garage light on. 

[Guy Lavoie]

You need to indicate which wires go to which terminal. Are you counting the ground screw as one of the three screw terminals?

Let me guess what you're saying here (and correct me if I'm wrong).

1- There are three wires actually going to the switch: a red and two blacks, and the two black wires are connected together.

2- No white wires go to the switch (this sounds different from your first post), the two white wires are simply connected together and taped up.

If (and only if) that's right, could you try measuring the voltage between the white wires (you'd have to remove a bit of tape) and the black wires? Do you get 110 volts, no matter if the switch (and light) is on or off? If that's right, then measure the voltage between the white wire and the red wire. Do you get 110 volts if the light is on and 0 volts if it's off?

That's a lot of ifs..

[teverk]

Im not using the ground screw at all. I went from white to each black wire I get just varying voltage 5-10 volts bouncing around. I measured  black too black wire Im getting 118 volts. Wish I could send a  picture of what I am seeing. 

[Guy Lavoie]

If the switch has 3 screws terminals (not counting the ground screw), then it's a 3 way switch (possibly just being used as a 2 way. But you would need to explain each cable, with each conductor going where. For example:

1- cable A with white and black conductors, white connected to white of cable B, black going to "common" on swtich

2- cable B with white, read and black conductors. white connected to white of cable A, black to black of cable C, red to switch terminal

3- cable C with white and black conductors. going to...

 

That kind of detail.

[teverk]

Thanks everyone for your assistance on the switch wiring project, it was wired up as a 3 way the wiring at the lights had to be re configured also the switch in the garage that was never used was removed, end result its working.  

Thanks again.....