# old four way



## undeadwiring (Feb 9, 2010)

Landlord wanted me to look at apartment below me they were having trouble with the light on the porch, so I opened it up and checked the switch felt very "mushy". There was no need for it as the only thing it controlled was the porch light, that and one wire was wrapped around the newer switch and terminated at the old four way. And tested that there was one live wire going to the four way, long story short changed the switch out for a single pole and found the fixture was no good least one side of it, the wiring in the house is old and weird least for me it is. Oh and if someone can tell me anything about the switch and what it's rated for I would appreciate it.


Edit : Double pole single throw switch not a four way like I thought thank you to shockdoc for letting me know ;-)


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## sparks134 (Jan 30, 2009)

Cloth insulations the best... gotta love it! Crumbles just by staring at it to hard :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

That old switch cannot be a 4 way since it is marked with "on" and "off".


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Not sure that there's much to say about the switch. It's just an old 4-way. Nothing especially peculiar about that one.


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## sparks134 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thats what I was thinking too :001_huh:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Dennis Alwon said:


> That old switch cannot be a 4 way since it is marked with "on" and "off".



Good catch. DPST it is!


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## undeadwiring (Feb 9, 2010)

Good point hadn't thought about that I was just wondering why were there two hots going to it though one continuing from the newer single pole and terminating at the older switch. Still was interesting to me as I am still new to the trade and still looking for work.


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

Try using a meter !:whistling2:


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Its not a 4 way to ther least. I came across the exact same switches, a double pole single throw where in your case only one side was used. Yeah that definetly looke like old NYC/Queens electrical work. I call it firewire.


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## undeadwiring (Feb 9, 2010)

when i opened it up it had four wires connected to it, and I did use a meter. My landlord knows the type of wire in the house he's one of those it's worked fine for years type thankfully Con-ed forced him to change the service entrance and 2 main breakers were installed. I'm just hoping eventually he replaces all the wiring in the house as everything appears to be surface mounted with only two receptacles in the wall.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

undeadwiring said:


> when i opened it up it had four wires connected to it, and I did use a meter. My landlord knows the type of wire in the house he's one of those it's worked fine for years type thankfully Con-ed forced him to change the service entrance and 2 main breakers were installed. I'm just hoping eventually he replaces all the wiring in the house as everything appears to be surface mounted with only two receptacles in the wall.


I worked with a guy in Manhattan who taught me an easy rewiring technique that works with loose fill BX, he would tie new thhn to the conductors and yank them through the original jacket . Seen it, tried it. Only works with the waxcoated cloth conductors.


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## undeadwiring (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks perhaps I'll tell him I could run some new wiring for him, I mean if he really wanted me to I could install a new sub panel in my and the neighbors apartment.


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## Geoff C (May 26, 2010)

Nothing like opening a box with 4 bx's tied into 3 ways when the husband tried to replace the switch and it mysteriously stopped working.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I come across those everyday....


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

Just a Quick question.... is undeadwiring something that is done by a ZOMBIE ?:laughing::laughing:


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## undeadwiring (Feb 9, 2010)

Of course it is :jester: one of those return of the living dead zombies though not the george romero kind  they are going to replace illegal aliens eventually


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## wirpullr (Sep 4, 2010)

*wirpullr*

Switch is a mercury type and is considered toxic waste


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## [email protected] (Nov 8, 2010)

Dennis Alwon said:


> That old switch cannot be a 4 way since it is marked with "on" and "off".


looks like double pole to me


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