[Mike.G]

So my finished basement has two different switches that control a set of lights, respectively left side and right side. The right side has 8
recessed lights that are all controlled by a dimmer switch at the bottom of the stairs.

There are another 4 lights on the left side controlled by a dimmer switch about 12 feet in to the basement near the laundry room. The picture will show 3 out of the 4.

I have just recently began adding a wall to create a room. That room contains 4 of the lights, 2 of which are the right side and the other two are controlled by the left side.

What I Would like to do is take control of these 4 lights and assign it to a new dimmer switch that I am installing inside the new room. How would I go about changing this configuration. I am prepared to remove drywall from the ceiling.

 

[Mike.G]

I reported the spam and I'm still looking for help with this.

 

[k_buz]

You will need to decide on a switch location. Once you have done that, you need to install a single gang box (old work or new work depending on if you have removed drywall). You will need to run power to that box and run a cable from the new switch box to the existing can lights.

You will need to cap off the existing switch leg in the cans and hook up the new wire you ran. This may be more complicated if this isn't the end of the line. In other words, if the switch leg runs thru each of the existing lights.

 

[hammerlane]

So What I Would like to do is take control of these 4 lights and assign it to a new dimmer switch that I am installing inside the new room. How would I go about changing this configuration. I am prepared to remove drywall from the ceiling.

Seems pretty simple...4 lites controled by one switch...question is where is power coming into?

The switch location or is power coming into one of the light locations?

here are a few diagrams I had saved. No ground wires shown for ease of drawing.

 

[hammerlane]

If you could supply a diagram of the current wiring it would be a lot easier than guessing.

 

[Mike.G]

I will try to figure out what the wiring is currently like.

 

[AllanJ]

You should need to open up only two lights, on the same side of the partition. While the connection box for each light fixture is "concealed" in the ceiling, it is still code compliant because you can unscrew and pull down the upper shell from the fixture and then reach up into the ceiling. But unless you have nimble fingers you may still end up cutting the plaster board around the fixture.

Because the connection boxes for the lights are quite small, get a separate junction box if cables come over the partition for the lights on the other side and need to be reconnected to each other outside the fixture connection boxes. This new junction box can rest inside the ceiling but must be close enough to the ceiling opening to be reached if the fixture shell is removed. (You may need another ceiling opening for the cover of an added junction box if the cables from the other side are not long enough.)

 

[Mike.G]

It might be helpful to note that the 4 lights in the room are the final 2 lights of each circuit.

 

[Missouri Bound]

I will try to figure out what the wiring is currently like.

..and if you can supply a drawing it would be great....as hammerlane said. As long as you can gain access to the wiring just about any configuration can be done.

 

[TTW]

Open up the dimmer boxes and take a peek to see how many romex cables are there and if they are 2 wire (white/black) or 3 wire (white/black/red) or maybe 1 of each.

Hope for two, 2 wire romex wires entering the box.:thumbup:

That would indicate the simpler solution for you, Hammers first drawing.


They might be the final lights, meaning the furthest from the dimmers, but if the source of power that was used to power the circuit is closest to them then the installer would have run it through them so not to waste wire, Hammers second drawing.:huh:

It could get more complicated, but we'll hope not!

 

[TTW]

hammerlane, check your PM's please

 

[Mike.G]

I have found out that it is a single pole dimmer switch with 2 black wires and a green coming out of the box. The black ones then get tied together with a wire nut. Our circuit breaker is at the foot of the stairs so I'm guessing the power is coming from the first lights then going to the last ones.

 

[hammerlane]

I have found out that it is a single pole dimmer switch

What is the "it" that you are referring to? In your mind you know what "it" refers to.

with 2 black wires and a green coming out of the box.

What does this mean? Trying to help but your descriptions in your last few responses are less than informative. Now your first posts with the pictures painted a good picture. why did the pictures stop?

 

[Mike.G]

Sorry that response was to TTW. I was speaking of the dimmer switch. It i a single pole switch. The box has 2 black wires coming out of it and a green one as well. I also addressed the question about where the power source might start. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the first lights and then get daisy chained to the rest.

 

[TTW]

You are talking about the wires connected to the dimmer switch itself.

I meant the wires coming out of the box in the wall, maybe I was not clear.

A photo like this would be priceless:

 

[Mike.G]

 

[hammerlane]

Hard to see where wires are going/coming from. Is it like this?

 

[TTW]

Does this look right?

 

[Mike.G]

Hammerlane has it right. There is also a black wire coming from the top left tube that goes into the tube going to the left and the top right tube.

 

[hammerlane]

Regarding the red and blue wire attached to the dimmer. Which wire is always HOT and which wire is only HOT when the switch is on?

Do you know how to determine this?