Breaker switch BUZZ & Blows when i turn off light?
I installed an outdoor light on my porch with a switch on the wall, When I turned the breaker switch back on everything worked great,
but when I turn off the switch I installed for the light, I hear a BUZZ, and it blows the breaker. What am I missing here?
4 Responses
bubba bob
10 Mar 2010
fordman
10 Mar 2010
This is a single pole switch? With just 2 screws to hook the wires to?
I can’t understand why that would happen, but the buzz is what you hear when there is arcing between the contacts and the breaker tripping is because of the current from the arcing.
The first thing I would do is to replace the switch immediately. If the same thing happens, call an electrician and get it straightened out or you could burn the house down.
Don’t use the light again until you can replace the switch.
this is a weird one. Good luck.
brndnh721
10 Mar 2010
It sounds like you may have put in a 3 way switch (has 3 screws) and may be put the ground wire on one of the screws ( the ground is bare copper or green ) if so take ground off that screw and put on ground screw and you can still use this switch as a single pole just use the black colored screw and the screw above that and face them on the right side in the box and it will work as a single pole switch
Dave
10 Mar 2010
I agree with brndnh72 – it sounds as if you have a three way switch in the system. Make sure, if your power goes from the panel to the switch then to the light, that the black wires connect to the switch, all whites connect to white, and the bare or green grounds connect to metal boxes or, in a plastic box, connect to the green ground screw on the top of the switch.
its wired wrong, dont know how you did it but when you throw the switch you are causing a direct short,
maybe edit and give more details
if you tied all the black wires together then tied all the white wires together at the light ,,and the switch is open,,,this will happen,,when you throw the switch you have direct hot to neutral,,,buzzzzzz,, pop
if this is the case —– at the light,,,,
tie the hot black to the black switch wire
tie the white switch wire to the black on the light
then tie the white on the light to the white coming from power
mark the white switch wire with black permanent marker at both ends