Vent: It took me 3 hours to replace a single light switch in my basement

I thought swapping out an old switch would be a 15 minute job (you know, like the YouTube videos always show). Turns out the wiring in my 1970s Chicago house was all backwards and none of the colors matched what I expected. After three trips to the hardware store and a call to my buddy Dave, I finally got it working. Has anyone else dealt with old house wiring that makes no sense?

2 comments

2 Comments

norag6623d ago

1970s house wiring is basically a choose your own adventure where every choice is wrong. I pulled a switch apart in my 80s ranch and found three white wires twisted together and one black one just hanging out loose. Dave must be a good friend because mine would have just laughed at me from the phone while I sat in the dark. Three trips to the hardware store sounds about right for any "simple" electrical job in an older house.

evan_campbell23d ago

@norag66 labeling all the wires with tape before disconnecting anything really saved me on the second try.