How can I fix the issue with my light fixtures only working when certain switches are flipped, and do I need an electrician to help?
Asked by Edwin Wells 
4 months ago
Last Updated: September 11, 2024
We just switched out 5 light fixtures on the front of our house – one by each side of the front door, one by each side of the garage door, and a motion detector between the garage and front door.
Before, all the lights worked fine with the switches left on all the time. But now, light #2 only turns on if we turn off the switch for #3 or the front door lights.
I thought the new fixture was busted, but even after exchanging it, the problem persists.
Light #1 and #2 are on the same switch – with #1 working fine. #3 has its own switch, separate from the front door lights.
I’ll double-check, but I believe they’re all on the same breaker.
Any suggestions on how to fix this? Do I need to call an electrician, or is there a simple solution? 🥺
It seems like there was a mistake in the wiring. Consider hiring an electrician.
Double check that the switches on the fixture are set to motion or photocell. Also ensure that you connected to the correct switch legs in the box. In a piped house, the colored wire will be hot to black, white to white, and ground to the box. If it’s x, the red wire goes to black or black to black.
You might have some wires crossed on the switches, or vice versa. Check out a tutorial on YouTube on how to properly wire double pole switches.
Are those just regular switches? Or do you happen to have a couple of 3-way switches? If you want them to always turn on, you could remove the switches and cap the wires behind them. What colors are the wires behind the switches? I might be able to assist you if you share pictures of the wiring behind the switches.
It appears that the traveler wire between the switches is incorrectly connected.
Just go for motion sensor lights.
If you only changed the fixtures, it should still function the same way. It’s possible that some wires behind one of them were not connected properly, resulting in a loss of power to where it should go. Dealing with multiple switches can be confusing, even when it seems straightforward, due to the various ways things can be connected and operate.
Could it be that something is blocking the sensor for the light that is not working?
It seems like your 3-way switch might not be wired correctly.