[JohnWL]

I have a 2 gang box with one 12/3 cable hooked up to 2 light switches controlling 2 exterior flood lights. The are no other cables in the box.

The black wire goes to the first switch. The red wire goes to the 2nd switch. The white wire has black tape on it with two wires pigtailed to it, each of those going to the 2 switches.

The switch with the red wire turns on both flood lights when switched. The switch with the black wire intermittently turns the same 2 lights on as well, sometimes working, most of the time not. Why are there two switches in the same box each controlling the same two lights with one switch only intermittently working? I’ve rarely to never used the lights and just tried them for the first time in several years. Just wondering what’s up with that. Just to be on the safe side I’ve got the circuit breaker turned off.

 

[JohnWL]

I’ve included a photo of the switches.

 

[joed]

Switches are wired as a switch loop. Power is coming from the fixture on the white wire and going back to the light switched on the black and red. There is no problem with the wiring at the switch.
It's time to open the fixtures and investigate the wring there. I suspect it is supposed to one switch for each light and something is messed up in one or both fixture boxes.

 

[daveb1]

Do the lights have motion and/or light sensors?

I'm thinking the one switch overrides the sensors to have the lights on full time.

 

[JohnWL]

@joed
@daveb1

Thanks for the explanations. The lights were flickering on the one switch. I did notice that one light does have a corroded motion sensor with a broken lens. I suspect one switch bypasses the motion sensor. I do have an electrician coming by to look at it today. I had arc fault and DF breakers installed a couple of days ago. I’ve had no faults or tripping on that circuit which has a new combination breaker.

 

[RedStone]

It looks like you've got a single white going to both lights. That's why they both turn on no matter which switch is used.

Another thing I'm wondering about: is it 3 wire coming into the box, and also 3 wire leaving the box up to the lights? Are the lights at the very end of the circuit, or does power go on to other things from there?

The proper wiring for two lights on one switch. If power is coming from a 14/3 line, you can potentially just put a marrett on the red wire behind the switches (unless it's serving more power down the line after it goes to the lights...)

What I suspect you are wanting ...?

If it's power to the switch first

If it's power to the light first