new light switch throwing breaker

not2sure

i replaced a light /outlet combo and now the breaker is thrown every time the light is turned on. i have 3 black wires and 1 white wire, the white wire is connected to all the whites from all 3 wires.... i replaced it exactly how it was and now it throws the breaker, im not sure what to do! any suggestions

Jim Port

Sounds like one of the whites is actually a hot wire and when you turn the switch you create a dead short. You could also have the wires on the wrong terminals.

How did you make the connections?

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Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

not2sure

ive tested them with the breaker on and power is only coming from 1 black wire. 2 blacks on brown screws white on silver and the other black on the gold screw

Jim Port

What color wires did you make to which color screws?

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Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

not2sure

i put the hot wire and another black on the brown screws, the white wire on the silver screw and the other black on the gold screw

sublime2

Compare old to new,was the tab between the switch and outlet removed on the old?

not2sure

no it wasnt

bob22

CHeck out the last 2 diagrams on this site:
http://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/wiring_switches.html
perhaps it might help.

Speedy Petey

Black, brown, gold, etc. all mean nothing. We'd need to know what wires you have and where they go. Also, the exact switch that you have. Not all are configured the same.

Was there a tab broken between any of the screws on the old device?

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not2sure

thanks but no those did not help... i have im assuming one hot wire coming in and then two wires that feed off this outet and continue down the circuit

Speedy Petey

Can you post a pic of how it is wired?

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Missouri Bound

Well you didn't wire it the same way because when you are flipping the switch you are dead shorting. The switch would have come with a wiring diagram if it came in a box. All switch combo's are NOT wired the same. It's very possible you have two circuits in that box on different phases. It's conduit or cable?

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not2sure

yes i wired it exactly the same and it started blowing the breaker after the new switch was installed not before

k_buz

To be able to help you with this, we would need you to be able to meter the voltage on the wires. A picture of the wiring in the box would be helpful as well.

You either have:

power in, power out, and a switch leg
or
power in for the switch, power in for the recept, and a switch leg

In the first case, you would meter voltage (120V) from black to neutral/ground on one of the blacks

In the second case, you would meter voltage (120V) from black to neutral/ground on two of the blacks. In, this case, it is possible to have 240V between the two black (hot wires). If you wire these two wires to the switch portion of the device, as soon as you turn it on you will have a phase to phase short.

not2sure

no i def have only one hot wire coming in and a wire going out to the light and then a wire going out and down the line