My v2 hub arrives tomorrow and I’ve been taking a look at the wires in my wall for switches. Older house, I’ve not been in the walls myself before today, but I took a look today at one of my wall switches and it’s as follows:
Two bundles of wires coming in…
Two whites connected together.
Two blacks connected together, going to top terminal on light switch.
ONE red coming from one of the bundles, going to bottom terminal on light switch.
(no, not a three-way switch for this–one switch, one light fixture)
I’ve read several of the threads about wiring (this one being most instructive: Automated Switches: What should my wiring look like? (US Version)). Haven’t had a chance to grab the voltmeter or peek at the light fixture yet, but sounds like I should be able to connect the black and red to Line and Load, then connect the Neutral… I’m pretty sure red is going to the light (I’ll have to get up there later to check).
Oh hell, that’s what I get for not going BACK to that particular thread and relying on the instructions for the switch… It even lists load as black, red or blue. Go figure.
US code does not mandate color usage in most jurisdictions, and also allows for “taping” which is putting a bit of color tape on the end of the wire of a different color, like a bit of black tape on a white wire.
Never judge based on wire color alone. I’ve seen every possible combination you can imagine. ️
Agree 1000%+ . If you have straight Romex running in/out you have a fair chance of relying on white,black, ground. If they are loose wires into the box it is a complete crapshoot and you better have a multi-meter to start testing the wires. I have been tossed across the room more than one by assuming a line was dead only to discover the " hard way" that somebody had crossed the wires somewhere down the line.
I watched electrician doing the wiring on a warehouse just grab spools of whatever color wire he had handy , then putting tape on the last foot or so of each end so HE could tell them apart. Pity the poor soul that ever comes in behind him. He worked for the power company and was the city inspector.
I busted out the multimeter and checked…switches work just fine at the wall so looks like I tested correctly. Now waiting for USPS to deliver my hub today…
Thanks for talking me through what I (essentially) knew via reading, @RLDreams and @JDRoberts.
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