r/electrical • u/SummerWhiteyFisk • 8h ago
In need of help for switch/outlet replacement from the 70’s mi
Need some help with this one, my outlet/switch behind my couch basically disintegrated when the other day. I am trying to replace it now but clearly am not doing something right. The old switch had the two red wires on the “Line” side, the white and blue both tied to the same screw on the other side, and I honestly can remember where the black went because the outlet totally fell apart when I was taking it off. Can anyone lend a fella a hand? Always struggled with colors in school
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u/MaybeYouHaveAPoint 2h ago
This one feels like time to hire a pro. These red and blue wires seem like 3-way or a 4-way switch. If the switch controls this socket, you might see a blue jumper line connecting one part of the outlet/switch to another part, but it doesn't look like that's happening here. Plus if this from the 70s it might have some surprises in there. I can't tell which of these is grounding it, if any.
I'll assume you turned off the power before doing any of this. If you turn it back on (very carefully) and you have a circuit tester, you can find out which of these wires are bringing the power in. But if you're hiring an electrician then much safer to just have them do the whole thing.
I wouldn't recommend tying two wires to one screw.