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Mystery switches are so much fun, there was two in my parents new home. One in a closet, switching it on and off produced nothing until we noticed the lights way out in the front lawn going on and off. LOL
A friend had a switch to nothing (it seemed) in a three-switch plate in the kitchen, near the sink. One was for the disposal, one for a light over the sink and mystery switch. It was about three weeks in before they discovered that it was connected to the dishwasher - and worked. None of us had encountered that before as home owners/renters. He encountered other interesting decisions the previous owner(s) had made.
A friend had a switch to nothing (it seemed) in a three-switch plate in the kitchen, near the sink. One was for the disposal, one for a light over the sink and mystery switch. It was about three weeks in before they discovered that it was connected to the dishwasher - and worked. None of us had encountered that before as home owners/renters. He encountered other interesting decisions the previous owner(s) had made.
Code requires a switch for dishwashers.
You can get a phone line toner, turn off all the breakers, and tone check the wires to find where they go.
Mystery switches are so much fun, there was two in my parents new home. One in a closet, switching it on and off produced nothing until we noticed the lights way out in the front lawn going on and off. LOL
I like to imagine that switch is turning on and off a light in someone else's house and making them crazy!
I like to imagine that switch is turning on and off a light in someone else's house and making them crazy!
Reminds me of a Steven Wright joke:
"In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday, I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said, "Cut it out."
Among us, we have owned houses in major metros in Minnesota, Colorado, California plus cities of 50k+ in Iowa, Wyoming and other smaller cities in the Midwest and West. Three of us owned houses in this city at the time he and his wife bought there - no code requiring this in our city. Two of us have since built new houses in Twin Cities suburbs and this is not a code requirement.
Is it common in other parts of the country? In the NE or the South?
Among us, we have owned houses in major metros in Minnesota, Colorado, California plus cities of 50k+ in Iowa, Wyoming and other smaller cities in the Midwest and West. Three of us owned houses in this city at the time he and his wife bought there - no code requiring this in our city. Two of us have since built new houses in Twin Cities suburbs and this is not a code requirement.
Is it common in other parts of the country? In the NE or the South?
2014 NEC requires a dedicated circuit and a disconnect within 4 feet of the dishwasher, plus GFCI. Some cities take a while to implement these changes. Our old dishwasher didn't meet those requirements, but when we remodeled our kitchen, the electricians had to install a dedicated circuit and a switch.
We've got a couple of dials in the master closet. I'm told they were for the swamp cooler that is now gone. Why in the closet? And I should find out if there's still current...might be nice to have an outlet there.
Short update - as there is a GFCI outlet on the patio on the other side of the switch I hoped they were related, but nope. Will continue looking!
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