Electrical mystery

[jslo]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but a 3 way switch is when two switches control the same set of lights? If this switch has a companion I don't know which one that would be, I've flipped every other switch in the house and can't find one that's bringing the power back.

The breaker box was replaced less than a year ago and I have the receipt for the work someplace in this pile of moving boxes. I may contact the company that installed it once the documentation turns up. Is it typical for a switch in the breaker box to fully "click off" but not completely go back into the on position?

The taped switch would need to be back in the position it was in, when lights were working, before looking for it's "mate".
I haven't seen if these lights are all in the same room or area and all controlled by 1 switch? The mis-wired 3 way is only a factor if all the non working lights are on the same circuit/switching.
As for the breaker, if you switch the breaker all the way off and it doesn't snap back on fully, you'll either have a bad breaker or a short not allowing it to reset.

[00tec]

We got the lights up and running this morning. Switch is fine, and looks to have been recently replaced. When the switch is flipped, it kicks off the breaker and kills nearby circuits. Oddly, it trips 2 different breakers at the same time.
Izzy will have an electrician track down the trouble when possible.
We were unable to find what the switch operates, but we didn't check outlets. It does not appear to be a light.

[izzy]

We got the lights up and running this morning. Switch is fine, and looks to have been recently replaced. When the switch is flipped, it kicks off the breaker and kills nearby circuits. Oddly, it trips 2 different breakers at the same time.
Izzy will have an electrician track down the trouble when possible.
We were unable to find what the switch operates, but we didn't check outlets. It does not appear to be a light.

Thanks again for coming by this morning. We at least have the power back, you're a life saver.

[00tec]

Thanks again for coming by this morning. We at least have the power back, you're a life saver.

No problem....

On second thought, I bet that it was supposed to be a 3 way switch along with the one on the other side of the kitchen that was partially patched over.

[SideShow Bob]

We got the lights up and running this morning. Switch is fine, and looks to have been recently replaced. When the switch is flipped, it kicks off the breaker and kills nearby circuits. Oddly, it trips 2 different breakers at the same time.
Izzy will have an electrician track down the trouble when possible.
We were unable to find what the switch operates, but we didn't check outlets. It does not appear to be a light.

A standard or 3-way switch ? Or the rare 4-Way ?
Which ever it is, it is definatly miswired & shorting two circuits together.
What are the breakers labeled as in the circuit breaker can ? If they are not labeled, there is another code violation. If your breaker can was professionally replaced (receipt for work done ?) there should have been a permit pulled and an electrical inspection done.

[00tec]

I think the previous owner had a 3 way switch in there, then did some remodel stuff and removed a set of switches on one side of the kitchen. They appear to have tried a replacement switch to no avail.

I only remember one of the breaker labels, downstairs light.

I would bet the problem lies in one of 2 boxes, but it was early, before work and my caffiene fix, so we didnt look too deep into it after lights were back on.

I need to talk to izzy and perhaps visit next week or some other time to look at it better

[izzy]

Took a while but I finally got this figured out. Jokers who lived here before me wired a hot wire to the ground on one end of a 3-way switch so every time you flipped it it’d knock out power to 1/4 of my house. Like had been mentioned here it was a pain in the ass to figure out but the solution was simple in the end.