Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - wiring trouble

I am in the process of changing switches and outlets in my home and have ran into a problem with one boc in particular. It is a double box with a single switch that controls my outside light, and a 3 way that controls my dining room light. WHen I pulled the wires off I didn't pay close enough attention to what wires went where and I have been kicking myself ever since. Here is what I have,
At my dining room light I have three blacks tied together, three whites tied together and one red. The light is connected to the whites and the red. In box one (the one I am working on) I have three sets of wires. Two with red, black, and white and one with black and white. In box two there is another 3 way with one set of wires with red, black and white that I haven't touched yet. I have been trying every combination I can imagine with little luck. The closest I have came was to get both switches for the dining room light to work, but only if I had the outside light on. :wall: Please help me :confused: The only thing I know for certain is there were two white wires tied together in box 1, but I don't know which two.

You said that you haven't touched box 2. So that means you can tell us how it's connected. Specifically, what color wire is attached to the black screw on the 3-way switch in this box?

there is a black wire connected to the common, a red wire on the same side as that and the white is in the third one.
Power is coming in through the dining room light

One of the black/red/white cables coming into box 1 is coming from the dining room light. We need to figure out which one. You need some piece of electrical test equipment. Almost anything will do. Do you have anything? If not, go to your home center and spend two bucks on a neon circuit tester.

k I will get one of those testers ASAP. I tried connecting one set of wires to the switch but it popped the circuit. I will leave it alone till I get the tester. Will there be wires from different sets going to the switch (black and red from one and white from another for example) or is it going to be all from the same set ?

I will leave it alone till I get the testerBest idea you've had all day. Post back when you have it in hand.

OK got the circuit tester in hand, ready to go. :thumbup:

Okay. Shut off the breaker. Go to box 1 and separate all the wires (you didn't say, but if the wires are not already all separated, stop now and tell us what you know). Chase the kids and dogs from the room and turn on the breaker again. Use your tester to test between the black and white wires of each black/red/white cable. Only one should light up your tester. Remember which set lighted up your tester. Shut off the breaker again. Post back with the result.

all wires seperated,tested and located correct wire

Okay. Make the following connections in box one. Make sure the breaker is off. Connect the black wire from the black/white cable to one of the screws on the standard (non-3-way) switch. This is switched hot to the outside light. Connect the white wire from the power cable (the one in the black/red/white cable that turned on your light) to the white wire in the black/white cable. These are the neutrals. Connect the remaining two black wires (from the two black/red/white cables) to each other, and to a pigtail (short segment of black wire) to the other screw on the standard switch. This are your unswitched hots. This may have been previously done without the pigtail by using one screw and an adjacent backstab hole on the standard switch, but I encourage you not to replicate this poor practice. Make all your connections to screws, and do not use any backstab holes. Connect the red wire from the power cable to the black screw on the 3-way switch. This is your switched power returning to the dining room light. Connect the remaining red and white wires (from the black/red/white cable that is NOT the power cable) to the two remaining screws on your 3-way switch. These are your travelers. Turn the power back on and test.

thanks for the help John. I will do this tomorrow as it is late and I do not want to mess with it while I am tired. I will post back in the morning with the results.

:thumbup: Success :thumbup:

Wired it up as you said and everything works like a charm. I can't thank you enough for your help John. Next time I will pay closer attention to how things are hooked up before I go ripping into it.

Good job. Congratulations.