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I've just installed a 3 gang switch to control 3 seperate lighting fixtures.
The neutral white comes from the mains and is nutted to the fixture neutrals.
The hot feed is pigtailed to the single pole switches terminals, then from the other terminal goes on to the fixtures.
The problem I'm having is that unless the one particular switch is on, the other two don't work. My intention is that all 3 work independently of each other.
What am I doing wrong?
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it seems to be that the feed is being switched think you have to check you are not switching the feed seems like you are
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I think the live feed is in the bottom of the switch. So pigtail all the switches to the bottom screw. Make sure you install all the switch with on is up. Not a real big deal there - just makes it looks nice and easier to turn everything on of off.
John
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You do not have the correct feed wire. Is this something that was there already and you are either adding a switch or you did some rewiring. Are you sure you have a neutral at the switch location. Remember the little adage that a neutral is always white but a white is not always a neutral.
You need to provide us with just a bit more of what you are doing. What did you do as far as wiring??? Did you pull new wire to the switch location.
John T.
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I can tell you how I fix that type of problem and you can make your own decision about comfort level. I turn off the power supply pull all the wires out and separate. Turn the power back on and test the wires for power. Find the one that is live shut off power pigtail from it to the switches. Funny thing is I was changing out a house worth of receptacles and switches yesterday. Seems every room had a duplex that was half switched. Each receptacle had 8 spots for back stabbed wiring. I have to bring some wire with me to pigtail a few as I don't use back stab connections and doubt I could find any like these if I did
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I much prefer the pigtails, but if you are going to run into problems with box fill you might actually be better off getting receptacles that use the side clamps. The wires go in like a backstab, but rather than just being held in by spring tension they are clamped between two pieces of brass which are tightened together by a side screw. IIRC those will allow two wires per screw, thus getting you the eight positions on the back.
Just a possible option. I think.
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This was correct. I was adding an additional switch to a 2 gang to control an additional lamp. I stopped, separated the wires and started testing all, the labeledmand retired.
Problem solved. Thanks for the help!
