Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Replacing two double switches

First, I am not too familiar with electrical wiring, and normally I will get an electrician to do a job, but this one is simply swapping an old switch to a new one, so I figured I can just match up the old and new switches and do it myself.

What I have is a double gang box that has four switches, two on each side. I turned off the main power and removed the cover plate, pulled out the switches and it looked like this:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00010.JPG

Note the top right switch is broken, this is why I am replacing this.

The left switch has a black wire connected to the top left. As seen in the link below:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00014.JPG

This black wire actually connects to the top right side of the right switches, as seen below:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00013.JPG

A black wire connects to the left bottom of the right switch, and a red wire to the left top of the right switch, as depicted below:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00012.JPG

To the right side of the right switches, the top is connected to the black wire that came from the left switches, and there is a white wire that connected to the bottom right. This white wire is all frayed and loosened up.

None of the switches are grounded. I saw three green wires tucked inside the box, screwed into a single nut. Not sure if they should have been connected to the grounding screw or not.

Now the problem. The Leviton Two Switches I got (I have a pair of them) do not look exactly like what I had so I can't just match them up.

The left side of my Leviton Switch look like this:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00017.JPG

The right side like this:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00016.JPG

Can someone tell me how I should be wiring them from the pictures? The Leviton switches has 4 screws, and they are labeled according to the instruction sheet A1 (top left), B1 (bottom left), Common Line 1 (top right), Common Line 2 (bottom right). And do I need to break off the fin located between the black screws?

Thanks in advance,

MC

I gotta get me a faster Internet connection.

Is this a different problem than the hallway question you asked over in the electrical forum?

I gotta get me a faster Internet connection.

Is this a different problem than the hallway question you asked over in the electrical forum?

Yes it is a different problem completely. I am replacing all the switches and outlet in the living room and the hallway, outlet is not a problem, those double switches and three ways are tricky.

Thanks for any advise, thanks,

MC

Sorry my pictures were incomplete. Here they are:

You are right I got the pictures mixed up a bit. Here they are hopefully showing the whole picture.

Left switch left side:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00014.JPG

Left switch right side:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00013.JPG

Right switch left side:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00012.JPG

Right switch right side:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00011.JPG

Both switches front side:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/DSC00010.JPG

I can't tell if the bridge is removed or not. I don't know which side the bridge was on and what it looked before it was removed...

Any idea how I need to connect them on the new Leviton double switches would be greatly appreciated.

MC

It's going to take a little while to sort though all of this. So be patient. If somebody want to help me out with this, I'd appreciate it.

It's going to take a little while to sort though all of this. So be patient. If somebody want to help me out with this, I'd appreciate it.

John, I appreciate the effort. If there is any additional information you need, more pics, more descriptions, please let me know.

Thanks in advance,

MC

What do the four switches control? Are they all single-pole switches (i.e., are there no other switches which also control the same things)?

Can you provide a complete inventory of all cables and wires entering the box? How many cables, and how many wires are in each cable, and what color are they? For bonus points, explain where each wire is connected.

I have it figured out, but I need a better, brighter picture of the left side of the right switch.

I need to be able to see if the tab has been removed or not.

The four switches are located on an interior wall near my front entrance. They are independent.

One controls an exterior light mounted on the overhang area of the entrance. Two others control two motion sensing flood lights on opposite corners of the house mounted under the eave. The last one controls a ceiling mount light in the landing area.

I will take a picture of the left side of the right switch now.

Thanks!

MC

OK new bright pictures!!!

I have retaken both sides of both switches closed up and hopefully will show more details.

This is the left side of the left switch:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/leftswitchleftview.jpg
There is a black wire going to the top screw. This wire does NOT come from the junction box, it comes from the right switch.

This is the right side of the left switch:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/leftswitchrightview.jpg
Two red wire from the junction box connected to both screws. The top red wire has a black tape on it (does this mean this should have been a black wire?)

This is the left side of the right switch:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/rightswitchleftview.jpg
A black wire connects to the bottom screw (this is the same black wire that came from the left switch) and a red wire connects to the top screw.

This is the right side of the right switch:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/rightswitchrightview.jpg
A white wire (with black tape) connects to the bottom screw and a black wire connects to the top screw.

Finally, I flipped the switches over to take a rear view image:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1090906/rearview.jpg
Hopefully this will show the wiring more clearly. Two red wires from the box connecting to the right side of the left switch. Top red wire has a black tape and bottom red wire is plain red.

A red, black and white wire come from the box and connect to the right switch. The white wire has a black tape connects to the bottom right screw. The black wire to the top right screw. The red wire connects to the top left screw. Then a short black wire goes from the bottom left of the left switch to the bottom left of the right screw.

MC

OK, I'll give this a shot.

Finish the connections described in one paragraph before moving to the next. Don't disconnect all of the wires and then try to hook up the switches.

A red, black and white wire come from the box and connect to the right switch. The white wire has a black tape connects to the bottom right screw. The black wire to the top right screw. The red wire connects to the top left screw. Then a short black wire goes from the bottom left of the left switch to the bottom left of the right screw.

The wires on the left side of the existing switches are the hots. Connect each one to a black screw on each switch, including both ends of the jumper wire - just like you have now. It doesn't matter which black screws you hook them to, as long as the black jumper wire connects the two switches together - black screw to black screw.

Attach a 4" piece of solid wire to the stranded white wire. Use a wire nut to connect the wires. Stranded wire will not properly terminate on the screw terminals you have. Use some color other than white.

The rest of the wires are switch legs, and you should have four wires left to connect. Connect one remaining wire to each of the gold screws. If you want the switches to operate the same loads as they did before, keep the switch leg wires in the same positions as they were in before (upper right, lower right, upper left, lower left.) You may want to mark the old wires before you remove them from the existing switches.

When you connect the new wires, make sure that you install the "hook" you make in the wires (so they fit under the screws) facing such that as you tighten the screw it tends to "close" the hook. Some of your existing wires have the hook facing the wrong way.

Should work- write back if it doesn't.