One outlet four switches

SoonerMike

I have 4 light switches from one box to control the power going to my den, and need to redo the wiring.
I have power coming in with 1 wire bundel containing a black, white, red, and bare wire.
There are 4 light switches #1 to the cieling fan/light
#2 to two outlets on one side of the den
#3 to two pendant lights
and #4 to two outlets on the other side of the den
There are 4 wire bundels leaving the box to these lights/outlets, they have a black, white, and bare.

How do I hook these up?

joed

Is there power on both the black and red coming in? Does it take two breakers to turn them off?
All the whites will be connect together no matter what.
How we deal with the other depends on the black and red feed.

Bob Mariani

tag each wire and make a diagram. Connect everything as it is now. From what you describe the four bundles leaving could feed the switched outlets/lights But maybe not. Maybe one is a feed to another area and the red is a switch, with power first going to another switched outlet and then to this box. So duplicated what you have is your best bet. You need to know which wires are powered when all switches are off. Most likely it is how I said and you will find that only the red or black is hot.

SoonerMike

Thanks for the responses, I belive only 1 breaker sending power to both the black and red I am going to check these things as soon as I get home.

I had a friend "help" me yesterday and I dont trust what he left to retrace and duplicate.

220/221

Are you 100% certain that these 4 cables go to the four switched items?


This is the key. The 3 wire cable could be power in on the black and switch leg back on the red to any one of the switched locations. It could also be a 3 wire feed with two circuits in it. It could be a dozen different things. You need to start by figuring out what you have here.

You need a contact voltage tester or you need to open the jboxes at the fan, pendants and the closest switched receps to see what kind of cable you have there.


Basically, if there are no 3 way switches, all your whites tie together.

Your power in wire gets four pigtails. One will attach to each switch providing power.

The black wire from each cable going to a switched item will connect to the other terminal on the switch. The switch simply connects/disconnects the power going to the lights/fan/switched receps.

joed

That make no sense. There would be no reason for this. Once you can confirm where the black and red wires go then we can tell you how to wire it.

SoonerMike

The red wire has no power, only the black wire has power.

220/221

And the black/red cable comes from?????????

The red could be the switch leg back to where the power came from.

That would make one of the 2 wire cable black power out instead of a sw leg.

Hook up the whites, then hook up the blacks to the black power one at a time to see what comes on, then MARK them.

Keep in mind that the switched receps are usually only half switched.

Be careful.

Bob Mariani

The red wire most likely goes to an outlet that is half switched. One off the black wires is power in and another is power out. So again tag the blacks currently on the switch so you know which are the switch legs.