Wiring two ceiling lights to switches? I have drawn a diagram (Below) Im trying to carry 2 lights...
I have drawn a diagram (Below) Im trying to carry 2 lights working. 1 works on a single pole switch & the other is a dimmer. The pole switch has 3 wires going into it.2 white & 1 red. With the dimmer in attendance are 2 wires. 1 black & 1 white. The switch was already wired so i shouldnt hold to touch that. The problem im having is beside the boxes in the ceiling. If i rope all the blacks together and adjectives the whites together the lights come on but neither switch works. The 2nd box was adjectives the blacks wired together & all the whites wired together. The 1st box for some explanation originally had 3 blacks & 1 white (inclu. the black from the light) connected & three whites & one black connected. I cant remember which ones go where though&every combo i enjoy tried hasnt worked so far. The left and right pairs of box 1 control the lights i ruminate as when wired together both lights work. The trip blows if i add the other 2 wires contained by any combo.
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Answers: Its concrete to explain or understand short being present.If the dimmer switch have a black and a white wire consequently it was wired what I call upon a "california"switch.That means instead of have the Hot and neutral contained by the switch...they took the HOT wire to the fluffy.You need to determine which line is HOT in the frothy box.Then you need to tie that hot cable to the wire going to the switch.Usually the white rope.This can be confusing because generally we use black as the hot.Which ever lead is hot inside the light box(black) it will enjoy a white wire moved out over.THAT IS the neutral and it get tied to the white wire on the bedside light.After that you need to find the black and white lead that goes to the dimmer.The black lead from the dimmer will be tied to the black wire on the insubstantial .Follow me so far?Then back to the hot lead you found in the desk light box.The black wire(hot )will now be tied into the white cable going to the dimmer...NOT THE LIGHT.This will be the hot for the dimmer.It looks like adjectives the other wires probably are jumpers to nurture other light box.So determine which chain jumps to other feathery box and repeat the same procedures.
As far as the red chain,I dont know.Is the single pole switch really a single pole?How many screw does ot have.It may be a 3 channel switch.If thats the case,the black and white are travelers and the red is the common(black screw).Back to the other wires within the box.Once you have eliminate which wires go to switch and which is hot.Im assuming the wires disappeared over are jumpers to nurture other stuff.Find out what other objects/plugs are dead.If you own dead power somewhere else,next more than likely the other wires are for feed the other plugs,switches etc...Then you just necessitate to tie the black wires to the hot black wire and the white line to the whit wires.The white wires will be tied onto the lights white wire as resourcefully.The only mix colors you should own is the white wire from the switch tied to the black hot cable in the standard lamp box.
It sounds like the lights are mortal fed from the ceiling, and the wires that run to the switches are breaking any the hot or neutral legs. What exactly are you trying to do?? Email me if you want.