The switch to the backyard light went out. I watched a video on how to do it and I replaced it. Easy, the switch and lights work now. BUT, now the outlets on the wall don't work.

I'm reading online that the I might have "not completed the circuit". How did I not "complete" it if I just wired it like it was before only with a new switch? How do I complete the circuite to the electracle panel? Also could this start a fire? 

External/outside circuits should have a built in ground fault breaker. Sometimes it's built in to each switch or outlet, sometimes there's one that they all tie back to. They are a little trickier than a normal house circuit. 

You might have even tripped it and it just needs to be reset. 

I checked the box. Turned the breaker to that wall off and on. Nothing. 

The comment is not to resetting the breaker. Rather you may need to reset the gfi 

Google gfi and then look at images. They have a reset 

Could be a few issues. Only nearly new construction has AFCI breakers in the panel. If the lights work and they were on the same breaker as the outlets, then it's not the breaker.

Did you check for any other tripped breaker and ensure that the outlets are actually on the same circuit as the lights? Usually outlets and lights are on different breakers, but not always.

GFI outlets have the test/reset buttons on them, and can be wired in series, so if there's a GFI that tripped anywhere on that wall, you might just have to reset it.

It could be that you inadvertently disconnected something. The junction box will have a twist coupler that brings a pigtail on the live hot (black) wire into the switch, and a third wire will travel to the outlets, the neutrals (white) are all tied together. If either of these were twisted backwards, a wire may have come out.

I always replace the couplers, and retwist them with pliers, and wrap them in electrical tape when I'm changing switches/outlets.

(I've been doing a LOT of this in my house, after getting a brand new breaker panel installed) 

As for a fire, if it's a lose wire it can cause a fire (loose or intermittent connections cause resistance, which cause heat, most common way that electrical fires occur). I would turn the breaker off if you don't find the cause of the outlets not working before going to sleep or leaving your house unattended.

And given that you already replaced the switch, I assume you know to turn the breaker off before messing inside the junction box :) don't go electrocuting yourself 

Time to call an electrician. 

We bought a house at the lake and my husband changed all the light switches and sockets from off white to white. Everything worked great, but he has never been able to get the two light switches that turn the upstairs hall lights on. It's a two way switch and looking online there are many combinations and he just never wanted to take the time to get it right. After five years, it still drives me crazy. 

It's a two way switch and looking online there are many combinations

Sounds like he should have put a 3 way switch.



Time to call an electrician.?

I'm trying to avoid it since the wall that the switch is on that contains the outlets that aren't in use. The TV is on the opposite side and that definitely call the army for that to be fixed.

I'll google what Donkey, Texan and Fuzz suggested and figure it out tonight. I could have just pulled to hard and accidentally disconnected or moved the pig tail wires like Fuzz said. 

Most two ways are fairly straightforward. 3 wires to each switch. The hard part is figuring out which one is the follower, but you can do it by trial and error. If one switch only works when the other one is on, then you swap the black wires. 

We bought a house at the lake and my husband changed all the light switches and sockets from off white to white. Everything worked great, but he has never been able to get the two light switches that turn the upstairs hall lights on. It's a two way switch and looking online there are many combinations and he just never wanted to take the time to get it right. After five years, it still drives me crazy.


Why wouldn't you clal in an expert?? One time I changed a switch myself, ended on calling an expert and he told me to never attempt it again! lol 

Most two ways are fairly straightforward. 3 wires to each switch. The hard part is figuring out which one is the follower, but you can do it by trial and error. If one switch only works when the other one is on, then you swap the black wires.?

My switch had 3 wires. Ground (easy to spot). The other 2 wires were black. So you're saying I might have put them in the revers order? 

All except the one he had trouble with, I could have done myself. Thanks, Dr Aborto. I will check that out. 

All except the one he had trouble with, I could have done myself. Thanks, Dr Aborto. I will check that out.?

A 3 way switch is used for a light that has 2 switches. Usually used for stairs lights. So you have 1 switch on the first and second floor controlling one light. Which is what I'm assuming you have. 

No, sorry. I meant that to sheddy. 3 ways have 4 wires including ground. three blacks (or a black and reds), plus ground.

Aborto, your single pole switch just has two blacks and ground. The orientation of the black wires in your case doesn't matter. 

Yes, that is exactly what I am talking about. We can turn it on downstairs and turn it off upstairs, but we can't turn it on upstairs to go down. 

I may not be explaining it exactly right, but it does not work like is should. It work just fine before he change the switches. 

sheddy-its a pretty easy process to correct the switch problem. You will need a simple tester such as a Klein Tools NCVT-1 Non Contact Voltage Tester. It costs about $15. First, turn off the breaker and disconnect the three wires from both the switches (should be 2 black and one red on each switch). With the three wires disconnected from the switch, turn the breaker back on and with the tester see which wires have power to them. You are looking for the "common" wire. This is the wire that gets attached to the darker screw on the switch. The common wire on one end will be the only one of the three that has power to it. Then on the other switch the common wire will be the only one of the three that DOESN'T have power to it so this is the one that gets attached to the darker screw on the switch. Once the common wire is attached to the darker screw the other two wires can be reconnected to the switch in any order. Be sure after you check for the common wire that you turn the breaker back off before you attach the wires back to the switch. Once connected turn the breaker back. This should resolve your switch problem. 

JamieP - Great, succinct, informative and non-BS post. Much appreciated...Zapper 

Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that. You made it very easy to understand. 

Well, we must be slow witted, since we couldn't get it to work. We did notice that the box that the wires were hooked to was wider that the one next to it, so we assume it was for a two way switch. We also noticed that the other light that goes on further down the hall worked the same way. We didn't even attempt to fix that one! Lol. It is us, since when we bought the house, it did work. Two other ones downstairs work like they should. 

Does it do this?

If the first switch is on, the other switch will turn the light on and off

If the first switch is off, the other switch does nothing? 

Yes 

If the house burns, there will be a fire investigation from the city, and from your insurance company. And more problems if somebody gets killed, or if the fire damages other properties.You could end up with big fines too. You should always use a licensed electrician. 

UPDATE

Figured it out. Apperantly the 3rd black wire wasn't ground and it actually had to connect to the off side. So 2 wires on OFF and 1 on ON. The last switch wasn't grounded. This one is. The ground wires were in there not connected to anything.

Thank you to the KU Member for offering to help.