Having a hard time with this one

[suprz]

I'm installing under counter 12volt LEDs in my camper. The kitchen ones went great... BUT in the bathroom, I am getting confused. There is a single unlighted switch that I wanted to tap into... The problem is that there are 2 wires going to the switch... One loops around with a connector that plugs into the switch, but does not end at the switch, and the other terminates at the switch. I have confirmed that the switch that ends at the switch is a ground because if I tap into that one with the black wire from the LEDs and the other wire to the red from the LEDs, the LEDs light and from what I know is LEDs need correct polarity to work... Now here is what's messing me up, IF the switch I'm tapping into is off the LEDs work, but if the switch is on, the LEDs do not work but the light that is hooked to that switch works normally... I have tapped into both sides of the wire that loops around with the same results... What am I missing. I'm not bothering giving the colors of the wire cause we all know rv makers don't follow color codes

[wopachop]

Any desire for a remote control PWM dimmer? Ive used them for over 5 years now they work great.

This one here is just hanging by the wires. But i think we might have the same light fixtures. I remember the same weird wiring. Bypassed the switch on the fixture itself and use the wall mount switch on the trailer or the remote.

[ajriding]

Already stated, but maybe not undestood…

The switch you are tapping into does not have 12v+ on one side and 12v- on the other side. You are probably tapping into 12v+ on one side and 12v+ on the other side. You need to tap one end (12v+ of the LED) into the switch wiring (after the switch if you want the switch to operate it) and the other end to a ground/12v- wire (which will be on the other side of the light bulb switch the switch original operates).

I guess electrically speaking you can tap into a 12v+ wire, interrupting it with your LED, and it becomes positive on one side and negative on the other, but having a light bulb on one side also interrupts the electric flow with what is basically an electrical resistor (the bulb filament) which will hinder the 12v flow of electricity and render the LED dark.

Remove the bulb by cutting it out and splicing the wires together where the bulb used to be and this should solve your issues, but if you want the bulb to remain then you will need to tap into the 12v+ side of the switch and then wire the LED to ground wherever you find ground, or on the other side of the original bulb, although for me the other side of the bulb just somehow prevented current from flowing to the bulb - preferring the LED route instead. Im over my head now so will yield to someone…

[wnjj]

wa8yxm wrote:
THis is true but as you can see I "Cut" most of what you posted and just left the most important sentence.

Yep, and the last sentence of mine that you cut explained why I don’t always do that.

[YC_1]

As suggested, you need a voltmeter for the full picture. Finding a ground can be problematic for the voltmeter or the led's.

I suggest finding a good ground first. There might be one near the light fixture or you can tap the light fixture ground.

Once you have a ground then you can use a temporary connection with a thumbtack to pierce the wires associated with the switch. A simple 12 volt test light will accomplish the same thing.

Most likely one side of the switch is 12 volts at all times and the switch simply passes that through. Without pictures it is more difficult of course.

[2oldman]

cavie wrote:
When someone responds without a quote it is difficult to know what post they are referring to when the thread goes over one page.

Any response without a quote means it's in response to the op. Otherwise, every single responder would be quoting the OP. That would be entertaining.

[2oldman]

wnjj wrote:
Make sense now?

It does, thank you. When you're done you could remove all the quoted op.

[cavie]

wa8yxm wrote:

wnjj wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Please explain to me why the first responder quotes the entire OP.

Because this lame forum software lets you see NONE of the post you’re replying to when responding.

THis is true but as you can see I "Cut" most of what you posted and just left the most important sentence.

And I can see that your links to "Switch" don't work. it is a good practice to quote the whole post when responding as a lot of people don't read the whole thread from the beginning. When someone responds without a quote it is difficult to know what post they are referring to when the thread goes over one page.

Kinda keeps the thread from going sideways as this thread has. :):)

[wa8yxm]

wnjj wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Please explain to me why the first responder quotes the entire OP.

Because this lame forum software lets you see NONE of the post you’re replying to when responding.

THis is true but as you can see I "Cut" most of what you posted and just left the most important sentence.

[wnjj]

2oldman wrote:
Please explain to me why the first responder quotes the entire OP.

Because this lame forum software lets you see NONE of the post you’re replying to when responding. When I write a detailed response, I like to refer directly to the OP to answer specific questions and use their terminology and quoting leaves it there for me. On a tablet, erasing the original is a pain so I just hit post. Make sense now?

[wa8yxm]

Are you saying the wires are like this

====Switch--------

Or does one of the wires go AROUND the switch?

Kind of like this ====Switch_____

first case ... It is either a 3-way switch (Water pumps are sometims that way) or it USED to be lighted. Use a volt meter on all 3 wires to figure it out

Seond case the single wire is likely SWITHED but use a volt meter to figure it out

How the Voltmeter helps

3-Way will have one or two leads hot. And one or two ground. Toggling the swich will make one of the hots into a ground or one of the grounds into a hot The remainging lead is either Load (if ground) or HOT.

If it is a tapped in switch then two will be hot and one "Switched" no ground

If it is a lit switch one will always be hot. one always ground and one switched.

[suprz]

wnjj wrote:

suprz wrote:
I'm installing under counter 12volt LEDs in my camper. The kitchen ones went great... BUT in the bathroom, I am getting confused. There is a single unlighted switch that I wanted to tap into... The problem is that there are 2 wires going to the switch... One loops around with a connector that plugs into the switch, but does not end at the switch, and the other terminates at the switch. I have confirmed that the switch that ends at the switch is a ground because if I tap into that one with the black wire from the LEDs and the other wire to the red from the LEDs, the LEDs light and from what I know is LEDs need correct polarity to work... Now here is what's messing me up, IF the switch I'm tapping into is off the LEDs work, but if the switch is on, the LEDs do not work but the light that is hooked to that switch works normally... I have tapped into both sides of the wire that loops around with the same results... What am I missing. I'm not bothering giving the colors of the wire cause we all know rv makers don't follow color codes

Based upon what you’re describing here is my analysis:

The wire that ends at the switch comes from the light fixture and the other side of that fixture is grounded elsewhere. The “looped” wire comes from a 12V fused source. When you connect the LED across the switch, it’s grounding through the unlit light bulb. When you turn on the switch, the wire that ends at the switch is at 12V. It’s no longer at ground.

You need to hook the red LED wire to the one with the one that ends at the switch and the black to a ground connection somewhere else.

Thank you very much, that makes sense.

[D_E_Bishop]

I agree with wnjj.

I also wonder why anyone quotes the question. Asking why of the forum members instead of the respondent is rather rude and IMNTBHO (in my never to be humble opinion) one of the reasons SCVJeff and many others have abandoned RV.NET forums and gone to, IRV2.com, maybe it's the lack of civility.

It's not our forum and the Mods and Admins aren't bothered by it, so just let it go.

[Boon_Docker]

2oldman wrote:
Please explain to me why the first responder quotes the entire OP.

Because he wanted to. :B

[2oldman]

Please explain to me why the first responder quotes the entire OP.