It flips the switch now, and the one switch that works turns off the lights over my vanity, not just the light over my toilet.

Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord Follow siliconundergro Menu About Archives Home Privacy policy Home DIY Where to connect the red wire to a light switch Where to connect the red wire to a light switch Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording September 5, 2016 August 5, 2017 red wire After reading where the red wire goes in a light fixture, someone asked me where to connect the red wire to a light switch.

The first time I saw a red wire on a light switch, it certainly confused me.

When you see a red wire in a light switch box, it can mean two things.

Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture, and the black wires are the live wires.

But first, lets get my disclaimer out of the way: Never work on a light switch with the power on.

And if you dont know which breaker controls the light you have, throw the main.

Dont risk injury.

Nothing fancy, one switch, one light So on an occupancy switch like the Enerlite HOSS that cares about which wire is live, the red wire in the switch box connects to the red wire on the switch.

But what about a regular old light switch If the switch that was there is a standard light switch with two brass screws on it and one green screw, you can connect the red wire to either of the brass screws.

If you have a ground wire, connect the ground wire to the green screw.

If you dont have a ground wire, leave the green screw unconnected.

Wiring a three-way switch This is a typical wiring setup for a 3-way light switch with black, white, red, and ground wires.

This type of switch lets you turn the light off or on from more than one place in the room.

This type of switch has two brass screws, usually on the bottom, and a copper or black screw on the top left.

Ideally, the old switch is still there, so you can wire the new one up the same way as the old one.

The red wire will go on one of the brass screws, but whether it goes on the left or the right depends on how the room is wired.

If you dont know how it was, connect the red wire to one of them, turn the power back on, and try the lights.

If the switches malfunction, switch the lower wires on the new switch.

I hope this helps you figure out the right way to connect the red wire to a light switch.

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Related stories by Dave Farquhar How long does it take to paint a bedroom Splunk vs Loglogic: Battle of the logs 4 thoughts on Where to connect the red wire to a light switch Takouhie N Nate Jensen January 16, 2017 at 6:50 pm Permalink What if I wanted to add a second switch to that light switch with a red wire We are taking out a light in our bathroom, and adding a light with a fan.

How can I add the other switch for the fan I got it all to work on one switch, then I added the second set of wires, and tried to run a pigtail from the hot wires in the box (black and red pigtailed together) to the bottom screw, and the white wire on the top screw.

Wired This Way