# two black wires, one white



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Is the cable bx or rx. Is it pipe with conductors in it
Not to say that it's not a white and two blacks. But cable usually comes wht blk and red. 

The configuration could be white as neutral and one color power in and the other color power out. Or *********** in and color power out and a color spare. 

Not sure. Take a post a picture. 

Put the two colors together to see if that lights the light. 

Watch out for arcs and sparks.


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Is this a three way? does another switch work that set of lights?


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

Thanks for the replies! Here's a picture of what things look like.

Ritelec: I connected the two black wires to each other and flipped the circuit breaker--and the lights came on.

And Oh'Mike: no, it's not a three-way.


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Sorry. I cant tell what's happening. 

If you put the blacks together and apart do the lights go on and off. 


The one black looks like it was wrapped around the screw of the switch. 

The black and white look like they were spliced together. Were they and then there was a pigtail to the switch also ? 

Is anything else not working?


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

I see three whites. Two blacks. And a red. Something's missing. 

With the circuit off can you pull the wires out more to see what's going on? 

Think there should be another black. 

Thanks


----------



## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

Do you have the old switch? Post a picture of it maybe. And the new.


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

Yes, the red wire that you see is joined to another black one.

And yes, if I'm remembering right, one of the protruding black wires was wrapped around the screw of the switch. The switch's other screw had a short length of black wire wrapped around it, and I think maybe it was joined by a pigtail to both the remaining black wire AND the white one, just as you said. Does that make sense?

I do remember opening up a pigtail connector and separating the wires in it--just don't remember which ones they were.

Thanks again for all your help!


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Would be nice to know where the white went. The only time white is made hot is to wire a switch. Are there any other switches not working. 

It sure looks like you are to put it back together as we are talking about. But I don't want to create a problem or burn out your new dimmer. Does your new dimmer need a neutral. Can you pull the wires out and take a picture. Curious to see what black goes to red and which whites go to which colors.


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

Hmm--there is one wall switch that doesn't seem to do anything. I haven't been able to figure out what it's for. But I'm guessing it's on a different circuit from the one we're talking about now, because the outlet beneath it still has power even after I've flipped the breaker.

I don't know if my new dimmer needs a neutral. (It does need a ground, which I don't seem to have, and that's another whole problem.)

Here are two more photos. One of them shows the wires, pulled out as far as they'll go. The other shows something I should maybe have mentioned earlier--a second switch directly beneath this one, which controls a different light fixture. I'm guessing it isn't relevant, but figured I'd toss it in there.


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Ok. Think you got it. 

Looks like the power goes to that switch on the white then back on the black to the red. 

In the original box put the black with the hook to the dimmer. The black and white get spliced back together with a pigtail to the dimmer. If you need a neutral for the new dimmer splice it to the two whites that are spliced together in that box


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

The ground. If the dimmer needs ground the metal sheathing of the cable which is ground is attached to the box so the box is ground. 

Attach the ground of the dimmer to a screw on/in the box.


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

Thanks very much! I'll give it a shot this evening and let you know how it turns out.


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

Sorry for the delay! But it worked beautifully. Thanks so much for all your help!


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Great..thanks for getting back..............

What was the other switch for?


----------



## BP1 (Jan 19, 2015)

I still don't know! I'm guessing that it used to control a fixture that was then removed.


----------



## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

BP1 said:


> I still don't know!


LOL :laughing:


----------

