# Outside light not working



## farmerjohn1324 (Nov 12, 2016)

The outside light on this trailer is not working. I drew a diagram of the wiring on the switch inside. I can only assume that the switch inside that does nothing is connected to that light. I tested the light socket with a multimeter and it showed no voltage. I replaced the switch on the inside and it still doesn't work.

It is a double switch. The switch on the left operates a light inside the room. The switch on the right is what I assume operates the outside light. I just bought a brand new bulb and it's not that. It is the kind of bulb with two socket connectors that you twist on.

Inside the light switch, there are four sheathings coming in. I will call them top left (TL), top right (TR), bottom left (BL) and bottom right (BR). Each has a black, white and copper ground. The white from all four go into a wire nut. The copper from all four go into a wire nut with a hole at the top where one copper wire exits to loop around the ground screw on the right switch and screwed into the ground screw on the left switch.

The black wires:
TL - top of left (indoor) switch
TR- top of right (outdoor) switch
BL - bottom of left (indoor) switch
BR - bottom of right (outdoor) switch

There is also a black wire that is stabbed in the back of the right switch and connects to the bottom of the left switch.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Nov 12, 2016)

Current multimeter readings:

Right (outdoor?) switch: I get 120 when connecting the ground to either of the two screws. I get 0.1 when connecting the two screws together. This is the brand new 15 amp 3-way switch.

Left (indoor) switch: I get 120 volts when connecting the two screws, but nothing when I try to connect the ground screw to either of them.


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## afjes_2016 (Nov 13, 2016)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> The outside light on this trailer is not working. I drew a diagram of the wiring on the switch inside. I can only assume that the switch inside that does nothing is connected to that light. I tested the light socket with a multimeter and it showed no voltage. I replaced the switch on the inside and it still doesn't work.
> 
> It is a double switch. The switch on the left operates a light inside the room. The switch on the right is what I assume operates the outside light. I just bought a brand new bulb and it's not that. It is the kind of bulb with two socket connectors that you twist on.
> 
> ...



Why are you using a 3 way switch here? I ask this because you do not have a wire connected to the top left screw of the right switch. Was this a 3 way switch to start with? If this is not a 3 way set up then you should be using a single pole switch which is cheaper anyway.
The wire on the right switch which is back stabbed (always use the screw instead) is feeding power over to the switch on the left. More than likely it is connected (back stabbed) to the common connection (dark colored screw position) on the 3 way switch.



> It is the kind of bulb with two socket connectors that you twist on.


Not quite sure what you mean by this. If you are referring to the bulb that you have in the fixture now that is a florescent (CFL) bulb which screws into the fixture just as an incandescent would. The large white part of the bulb assembly is the ballast for the bulb to function.

A picture of the fronts of the switches, backs and a better, clearer picture of the wires in the box will help.


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## Snoonyb (Nov 13, 2016)

He has a GU10 base CFL.


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## Snoonyb (Nov 13, 2016)

Are there two exit doorways and when these were working, were both light fixtures controlled from separate  switches at each location, or both from either location?


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