Light switch does not seem to work, only 60V measured at the switch.

Thread Starter

thegreek11

Joined Nov 3, 2016
3
I just bought a new house. On one wall in the kitchen is panel with 3 switches. I have know what 2 of the switches do (both are ceiling lights), but the third one does not seem to do anything at all.

My first thought was that it controlled one of the outlets in the kitchen or family room right next to the kitchen, but after taking a small lamp around to every outlet that I could find I could not identify what the switch was for. During my testing, every outlet tested had power and lit up the lamp ( I did not test the voltage at the outlets, though).

So the next thing I did was take the cover plate off the switch panel and tested the voltage going to the switch in question. I tested by touching the wires going into the switch without removing them from the switch. With the switch in the on position I got zero voltage (Actually it was 0.016V), but when I put the switch in the off position I got 60.2V. I am not an electrician so I have no idea what this means. I do know that there are different types of switches (2-way and 3-way) and the one in question is a standard single switch. Now while I was checking the Voltage I did notice that some of the plastic body of the switch was cracked and broken and some of the material was actually missing.

So I guess I have a couple of questions:
1. What would cause the voltage to only be 60.2V?
2. Could the broken material on the switch be causing what I am seeing?
3. How can I possibly determine what this switch is supposed to control? This is of course a very hard question for folks to answer but I am hoping maybe there is some trick for figuring this out. I am just worried that there may be some 'hidden' problem in the walls. Don't want an electrical fire.

Thank you for any help you can give me.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
1) bad measuring technique
2) yes
You are supposed to measure voltage from the wires to "ground". That should be the metal box.
That mysterious voltage you are getting is about leakage current and the impedance of your meter. It only means, "confusion".
Look for a garbage disposer or evidence that one used to be there.
 

Thread Starter

thegreek11

Joined Nov 3, 2016
3
Thank you #12.

I will re-measuer by testing to ground. I too am learning as I go.

These switches are actually on a wall between the kitchen and the family room. It is definitely not a garbage disposer, we have one and it works fine. My gut is telling me it works a light in the hall right near the switch, but there is another switch at the other end of the hall that controls that light, and as I mentioned this is not a 2-way or 3-way switch, so that kind of rules that out....unless someone replaced the switch with the wrong kind.

Any idea of how to trace these wires? I have a toner for tracing network cables. Will that work on house wiring too? Obviously I would turn off the power at the breaker before hand, just not sure how I would get a complete circuit to make the toner work.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I don't know how a, "toner" works. Sorry.
Tracing abandoned wiring can be frustrating. For all you know, the old outlet or whatever, was closed off with a metal plate and plastered over!:rolleyes:
 

renemonte

Joined Oct 7, 2016
16
I just bought a new house. On one wall in the kitchen is panel with 3 switches. I have know what 2 of the switches do (both are ceiling lights), but the third one does not seem to do anything at all.

My first thought was that it controlled one of the outlets in the kitchen or family room right next to the kitchen, but after taking a small lamp around to every outlet that I could find I could not identify what the switch was for. During my testing, every outlet tested had power and lit up the lamp ( I did not test the voltage at the outlets, though).

So the next thing I did was take the cover plate off the switch panel and tested the voltage going to the switch in question. I tested by touching the wires going into the switch without removing them from the switch. With the switch in the on position I got zero voltage (Actually it was 0.016V), but when I put the switch in the off position I got 60.2V. I am not an electrician so I have no idea what this means. I do know that there are different types of switches (2-way and 3-way) and the one in question is a standard single switch. Now while I was checking the Voltage I did notice that some of the plastic body of the switch was cracked and broken and some of the material was actually missing.

So I guess I have a couple of questions:
1. What would cause the voltage to only be 60.2V?
2. Could the broken material on the switch be causing what I am seeing?
3. How can I possibly determine what this switch is supposed to control? This is of course a very hard question for folks to answer but I am hoping maybe there is some trick for figuring this out. I am just worried that there may be some 'hidden' problem in the walls. Don't want an electrical fire.

Thank you for any help you can give me.
 

Thread Starter

thegreek11

Joined Nov 3, 2016
3
Thanks guys for the input. I actually found the outlet that was being controlled by the switch...it was hiding behind a small table rather far away from the switch. Never would have thought it would control something that far away but in desperation I started searching for and testing every outlet in the house until I found it.

Still not sure why I am getting the 60V reading. I tested other switches and got 120V, but I seem to keep seeing other folks getting the same "Phantom" reading so I am not going to worry about it.
 
Top