Hoping someone can help me figure out the wiring in my garage. I have 3 switches in my switch box: a single pole switch on the left which controls recessed lights outside my garage door, and 2 switches on the right which I'm not sure what they do. I believe one of them controls a driveway flood light, which is how I found this wiring because I replaced the light and found there was no power coming to it at all.
So when I opened the box, this is what I found.
From left to right, the 2nd and 4th cables are the ones bringing power in. The 1st cable is going to the recessed lights, which work fine. The 3rd cable is the one I think goes to the flood light, but my voltage tester can't detect any power when flipping any switches.
If anyone can help me understand this wiring I would be grateful. If I look at the 4th cable on the right (bringing power in), the black goes to the wire nut on the left. This wire nut also has the red from the incoming power 2nd cable, and a pigtail which goes to the top terminal of the switch on the top right. This same terminal has a "jumper" black wire which goes to the single pole switch and brings power to that. The top black wire on the single pole goes to the cable for the recessed lights.
Moving to the 2nd cable which also brings in power, the red as I said is wire-nutted, and I see the black and neutral connected to the top switch terminals on the right. Below them is the neutral and black for the cable going out to I think the flood light. This is the cable that shows no voltage when the light is switched.
By the looks of it, this has been around for a while and I'm wary of changing this because I guess it was working fine at one point (we just moved in). But what I'd like to do is simply have 2 single pole switches in the box and each one controls a set of lights. If this is a 3-way switch I can't find another switch in the garage, or a nearby room, which would be the other 3-way switch.
Any harm in re-doing this in a much simpler way? Cap off the reds, wire nut the neutrals together, and use 2 single pole switches in the gang box? Each switch would be responsible for one set of lights. Thanks for any help.
So when I opened the box, this is what I found.
From left to right, the 2nd and 4th cables are the ones bringing power in. The 1st cable is going to the recessed lights, which work fine. The 3rd cable is the one I think goes to the flood light, but my voltage tester can't detect any power when flipping any switches.
If anyone can help me understand this wiring I would be grateful. If I look at the 4th cable on the right (bringing power in), the black goes to the wire nut on the left. This wire nut also has the red from the incoming power 2nd cable, and a pigtail which goes to the top terminal of the switch on the top right. This same terminal has a "jumper" black wire which goes to the single pole switch and brings power to that. The top black wire on the single pole goes to the cable for the recessed lights.
Moving to the 2nd cable which also brings in power, the red as I said is wire-nutted, and I see the black and neutral connected to the top switch terminals on the right. Below them is the neutral and black for the cable going out to I think the flood light. This is the cable that shows no voltage when the light is switched.
By the looks of it, this has been around for a while and I'm wary of changing this because I guess it was working fine at one point (we just moved in). But what I'd like to do is simply have 2 single pole switches in the box and each one controls a set of lights. If this is a 3-way switch I can't find another switch in the garage, or a nearby room, which would be the other 3-way switch.
Any harm in re-doing this in a much simpler way? Cap off the reds, wire nut the neutrals together, and use 2 single pole switches in the gang box? Each switch would be responsible for one set of lights. Thanks for any help.
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