Can someone please explain this light switch wiring to me?

[sagor1]

Time to call in an electrician. Sounds like there is some ground fault somewhere. You are not going to be able to fix that yourself.

@Keepit, there are ways to run power thru the switch box, and run a separate feeder to the light fixture with a 2 wire cable. I've seen black tape on a white wire in those cases, to denote that both wires can be "hot", depending on how it is wired. In fact, I think most electrical codes require a white wire that is used for "power" to be labelled with black tape. It is not a common way to do it however, usually an afterthought or modification to existing wiring. Proper modern wiring would not be done that way any longer.

 

[solaraxis]

I can do anything I set my mind to

 

[solaraxis]

what youre saying though, is that this problem extends throughout the house. So whats my best course of actions? test all connected grounds in the house for the fault? Bit of a propject anyhow seeing as this'll likely be demolished by next year might aw well treat my home to some foreplay

 

[spike47]

There seems to no Earth to the Metal back box !

 

[solaraxis]

the one in the switch has earth running through, tied into the back box with a bolt and branched to the dimmer

 

[solaraxis]

easiest way to find and identify a ground fault is checking the resistance of electrical outlets on the circuit?

 

[solaraxis]

not saying im qualified, just saying Ive got a brain, a rudimentary understanding of current flow, a pandemic induced obsessive personality and a lot of time

 

[Reloadron]

not saying im qualified, just saying Ive got a brain, a rudimentary understanding of current flow, a pandemic induced obsessive personality and a lot of time

Seriously funny and good.

All you are looking to do is replace a wall switch with a dimmer type, would that be correct? I don't see where "ground fault" figures into this. Basic dimmer for incandescent light right? Not all dimmer switches require a ground. All you would need is a two wire dimmer, hot in and lamp on the output side.

Yes, your switch as is, is a mess but I have seen worse. One side of the switch should be Hot (always) and the other side the switched output. With Canada and US Mains power the worst case is you get a shock and if the mains is off at the breaker you are not likely to get a shock. This assumes you are in good health and not a cardiac patient.

Ron

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Seriously funny and good.

All you are looking to do is replace a wall switch with a dimmer type, would that be correct? I don't see where "ground fault" figures into this. Basic dimmer for incandescent light right? Not all dimmer switches require a ground. All you would need is a two wire dimmer, hot in and lamp on the output side.

Yes, your switch as is, is a mess but I have seen worse. One side of the switch should be Hot (always) and the other side the switched output. With Canada and US Mains power the worst case is you get a shock and if the mains is off at the breaker you are not likely to get a shock. This assumes you are in good health and not a cardiac patient.

To be fair, plenty of people get killed on 110V - even though 240V isn't particularly dangerous.

But as you say - incandescent dimmer, just two wires, live/hot in and switched out.