# Breaker trips when turning switch off



## duxnbux (Mar 18, 2016)

I just bought a house and the back porch lights wouldn't come on.  I moved the switch to off position and it tripped the breaker.  My master bedroom ceiling lights and ceiling fan are on the same circuit.  I put the porch light switch in the on position and I can reset the breaker then.  I swapped out the light switch, it has two black wires on the right side and 1 red on the left.  There are 5 surface mount lights on the back porch, I've taken two down so far and they have 1 white, 1 black and 1 bare copper wire going to them.  I don't know what else to do.  The house was built in 2006.


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## nealtw (Mar 18, 2016)

Three wires indicates 2 switches, look for another switch for those lights. It could be in a room that has a window to the porch or even a motion detector switch some where.


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## duxnbux (Mar 18, 2016)

I found the other switch and it works without tripping the breaker. So are the wires backwards on the switch that is causing the trip


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## nealtw (Mar 18, 2016)

Check that the red and the black from the same cable attached to the same screws on both switches. 
If that checks out I would guess you have a problem with one of those wires so look for anything wrong with the wires in the boxes. 
After that you could have a problem in the wall like a nail or something.
The three wire should be going from switch to switch but you never know, look for another junction box or even pull more lights to see if they have used one of them for a junction box.


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## jeffmattero76 (Mar 20, 2016)

Here is how to figure this out. Turn off the breaker. Take both switches out of their box. Label or take a picture of each one in case you need it. Then disconnect all three wires that are connected to each switch and seperate them so they are not touching each other. Temporarily turn the breaker back on. Test each wire with a volt sniffer or neon tester to identify which wire is the incoming supply hot. That wire goes on the COMMON screw of the switch and i call that switch the MASTER switch. On the master switch, put the other two wires (called TRAVELERS) on the remaining two screws, and it makes no difference which wire is on which screw. Then go to the other switch (i call it the SLAVE switch). With the master switch in the down position, not which of the wires is hot at the slave switch and connect that wire to one of the gold screws on the slave switch. Then put the master switch in the up position and test which wire is hot at the slave switch and put that wire on the ither gold screw on the slave switch. The remaining wire at the slave switch goes on the COMMON screw if the slave switch. That should correct your problem. Goodbluck.


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## jeffmattero76 (Mar 20, 2016)

Sorry i should have done a better job of spell check in my post above. 

In any case there should only be black or red wires connected to both switches. If you have a white wire connected to one or both of them re-post since that would change the wiring i described.


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## Snoonyb (Mar 20, 2016)

duxnbux said:


> I just bought a house and the back porch lights wouldn't come on.  I moved the switch to off position and it tripped the breaker.  My master bedroom ceiling lights and ceiling fan are on the same circuit.  I put the porch light switch in the on position and I can reset the breaker then.  I swapped out the light switch, it has two black wires on the right side and 1 red on the left.  There are 5 surface mount lights on the back porch, I've taken two down so far and they have 1 white, 1 black and 1 bare copper wire going to them.  I don't know what else to do.  The house was built in 2006.



What will eventually be the answer, will depend upon you, or someone, identifying which box contains the hot pair, be it one of the two switch boxes or one of the light fixture boxes.

There are 9 distinct methods of correctly wiring standard 3 way switches, based upon where the hot pair is located;http://www.easy-do-it-yourself-home-improvements.com/3-way-switch-wiring-diagram.html

Electronics are another story.

If you do not have an inexpensive voltage tester, it would be a good investment, along with a set of wire labelers or a pack of different colored tape.

With the breaker off, remove both switches associated with these fixture from their respective boxes, disconnect and label or identify each conductor,
reenergize the circuit and with the voltage tester, identify the hot pair.


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## WyrTwister (Mar 22, 2016)

Take photos after you have babeled everything & before tou take any thing loose . 

     Post those photos .

     And , yes , you can get a volt - ohm meter at Harbor freight , that will be adequate for what you are doing .

God bless
Wyr


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## bud16415 (Mar 22, 2016)

duxnbux said:


> I swapped out the light switch,



When you swapped out the light switch did you swap it with a 3 way replacement switch?


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## 9CWB9 (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi I I am new to this room and I was really hoping to get much needed advise. So I currently have a im assuming a 2 socket for example here's a picture View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458833079.894140.jpg
 so the very 1st time I attempted to change them one it legitimately blue the circuit/Fuses in my apparment emmesiatly.So anyways long story shirt I was kind of trying to figure out and have been spending a good amount of time trying to look online on how to figure out how to not just fix it but understand it and maybe even somehow even get a schematic or diagram which one help me immensely considering I am proud to admit that I am a Certified Automotive/Motorcycle Tech. And the funny part of this is all that my specialty has always been electrical... Haha


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## nealtw (Mar 24, 2016)

9CWB9 said:


> Hi I I am new to this room and I was really hoping to get much needed advise. So I currently have a im assuming a 2 socket for example here's a picture View attachment 11185
> so the very 1st time I attempted to change them one it legitimately blue the circuit/Fuses in my apparment emmesiatly.So anyways long story shirt I was kind of trying to figure out and have been spending a good amount of time trying to look online on how to figure out how to not just fix it but understand it and maybe even somehow even get a schematic or diagram which one help me immensely considering I am proud to admit that I am a Certified Automotive/Motorcycle Tech. And the funny part of this is all that my specialty has always been electrical... Haha



It is always better to start a new thread from the forum page with a new question, but now that you are here. Black to the gold screw and white to the silver screw bear copper to green screw.


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## 9CWB9 (Mar 24, 2016)

I didn't know so apologies about that just new to this at all but thanks lot very much appreciated


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## Snoonyb (Mar 24, 2016)

9CWB9 said:


> Hi I I am new to this room and I was really hoping to get much needed advise. So I currently have a im assuming a 2 socket for example here's a picture View attachment 11185
> so the very 1st time I attempted to change them one it legitimately blue the circuit/Fuses in my apparment emmesiatly.So anyways long story shirt I was kind of trying to figure out and have been spending a good amount of time trying to look online on how to figure out how to not just fix it but understand it and maybe even somehow even get a schematic or diagram which one help me immensely considering I am proud to admit that I am a Certified Automotive/Motorcycle Tech. And the funny part of this is all that my specialty has always been electrical... Haha



The slot on the right is the hot, the slot on the left is the neutral and the hole is the ground stake.

What you have pictured is a "duplex recepticle" and there is a simple rule to follow; With the recep. facing you, and the grnd. stake down (as pictured), the hot conductor attaches on the right, and the neutral conductor attaches on the left.


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## WyrTwister (Mar 25, 2016)

For a house , around here , the wiring is in Non-Metallic sheath cable ( NM cable or " Romex " ) .  Often with a white wire ( neutral ) , a black wire ( hot ) and a bare wire ( earth ground ) .

     The green screw , on the receptacle , is earth ground .  The screw is thread into the " bracket " or yoke , that kind of holds the receptacle together and is used to screw the receptacle to the electrical box .

     The 2 shiny / white / silvery screws are electrically connected together and this is where the white / neutral wire terminates .

     The 2 brass screws are electrically connected together and this is where the black / hot wire terminates .

God bless
Wyr


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## nealtw (Mar 31, 2016)

duxnbux said:


> I found the other switch and it works without tripping the breaker. So are the wires backwards on the switch that is causing the trip



So what have you found?


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