Posted 2017-05-15 8:56 PM (#169899) Subject: Split Lights Into Two Switches
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
i have a Lakota 8415 and currently all of the celing lights are on one switch. At times when the lights are on it's too much light. When they are off it's not enough. I would like to split the kitchen lights and main room lights into two switches.
I took out the switch panel and there were multiple wires twisted togeather and I thought good news I can take them apart one by one and figure out what goes to what. That didn't work.
Is it possible these all go back to the fuse box and that's where the split?
Posted 2017-05-15 9:21 PM (#169902 - in reply to #169899) Subject: RE: Split Lights Into Two Switches
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448 Location: Los Angeles, Ca.
The multiple wires are probably a 12v circuit providing power to your switch and others on the same circuit. Your switch should have two terminals. One is connected to the 12v+ and the other goes to the light fixture. When you flip the switch, it connects the 12v+ to the light. Find out which terminal is hot (12v) with a multimeter or a test light. If a single wire is connected to the other terminal and is not connected to any other wires at that location, it goes to the light fixture and continues to the other fixtures on the same circuit.You won't be able to split the lights at that box. It is possible to split the lights but not that easy....might entail taking off pieces of trim, cabinets etc. A different solution might be to replace the fixtures with ones that have a switch on the fixture itself so you could turn off those lights when you don't need them. A recessed light fixture could be controlled by a push on-push off switch located in the paneling adjacent to the fixture. All requiring a handyman+ level of skill.
good luck
Posted 2017-05-16 10:25 PM (#169908 - in reply to #169899) Subject: RE: Split Lights Into Two Switches
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
Attached is a picture. The bundle of white wires attaches to the switch for the seven lights. There are 7 wires so my initial thought was this should be simple. It wasn't. If I touch the white wire that is printed on to any of the other wires all of the lights go on. What's going on?
Split Lights Into Two Switches
