Lights Out!

While doing a little work in the yard last Sunday, I noticed that the front porch light was not on. That in itself is no big thing as Susan could have easily turned it off. We have been leaving it on 24/7 because this time of year it gets dark so early and stays dark so late that it just made sense to leave it on.

When I checked the switch, I got nothin'! Additionally, the entry way light was not working. Both switches are located in the same box right at the front door. Upon further investigation, I found I had power to the switches, it just wasn't making the trip to the light fixtures.

The main reason I started this blog was to be able to easily refer back to projects we have done to discover the who, what, when, where and why of the projects. I went to work to find my entry pertaining to this particular Electrical Event. I thought had written something back in May of 2007 when I was laying the wiring for these lights. I can't find any reference to it. So I delved into my picture file to see if I could identify the date I wired these lights.

I came to discover that I had done this project in March of 2006, five months before I started this blog. This project might have been the catalyst that launched into Bloggery in the first place.

Travel back with me now to the Ides of March, 2006. I was running the wire for the front porch light and the entry way light prior to patching the area of floor shown below.

While I had this raw open area, I decided to use it to run the wire I needed. The power came from the attic and I had to run a switch leg down through the wall below. In my inexperienced and unthoughtful manner, I ran the wires and connected them below this floor.Then I went to work putting the new flooring into place.
When I was finished, I was pretty pleased with myself. This was one of the first pieces of finish carpentry I had ever performed on the house. I thought it came out pretty good.

The next night Susan said the front porch light wouldn't come on. I went out there thinking she wasn't flipping the switch properly or something. Sure enough, the light wasn't coming on. On a hunch, I went upstairs to the approximate location where that hole in floor was where I had connected the wires. I stomped my foot and the porch light came on.Caption: "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I had to pull up all the flooring in order to get to the wiring. I knew I couldn't leave a soft connection like that under the floor where you can't get to it. But I didn't run new wire, like a you know, professional would. Instead, I really hard wired an extension onto the wires and ran the extensions over to the wall.

By "Hard Wire", I mean that I twisted the wire ends together really really well and then taped them up really really well. I then replaced the flooring which we have since sanded and stained and everything has worked really really well...until last Sunday, March 1st.

I am afraid that the problem I'm having with these switches involves this run of wire. My pal, Jerry the electrician is coming over on Monday to confirm or deny my suspicions.

Shit!