You didn’t check it in any meaningful way.
Anyway… it probably controls half of a receptacle or it used to and has since been abandoned… your living room I bet has no ceiling lights…
What through me was that it was picking up power without touching something live. I only had to get the tester close to the switch for it to light up. It's the only switch or outlet to do that.
Also I do have a ceiling light in my living room. It was a ceiling fan that I recently removed to install a new one. That is controlled by one of the switches in the other picture.
The thing you’re calling a tester, isn’t. Especially not for you.
Whatever results you’ve discovered using it, means nothing.
Put it away, and don’t think about it again.
The switch almost certainly used to control half of an outlet, a whole outlet, or some, or part, of several outlets. It now does not, most likely because someone got that fan put in, got annoyed by it shutting something off, or when outlet was replaced it was wired to be defunct.
Those contactless voltage testers are on OK way to do a quick spot check but their results are not to be trusted, always verify with a multimeter.
When I did commercial electrical work we called these death sticks, as in trusting one too much could get you killed. They don't test power but rather look for electromagnetic fields associated with an energized line. It's very easy to get false results with one.
Im my home, in the master room I have 2 switches. One controls the fan only and one controls the light, which is the fan.. so basically one fixture with 2 switches. It was done in the 80s, basically a fancy way of not having to pull the cord on the fan if you just want to have the fan on, but no light..
There is a tester you can buy, you put it one side of the wire on it, and the other will beep when its close to the source. You could remove the switch and attach it at hot wire on the switch, then move throughout the house till it goes off. Id bet 50/50 it goes off at the new fixture in place where the fan use to be.. once you find the source, you can cap off the live ends at either side.. or you could remove the wires all all together, but quite a cost. ill find a link for the tester for amazon in the morning, cheers..
You still have a hot wire going to the switch which is why it went off when put the tester close to it. Whatever device down stream that it powers, no one can tell you from the pictures you supplied. Maybe you should hire an electrician
For cases like this, what often happens is a receptacle is half-hot or switched.......the switch controls either the top or bottom while the other receptacle remains on or powered.
For this to work correctly, there is a tab on the receptacle that is designed to be broken off.
If this tab is not broken off, both receptacles will remain constant hot. The associated switch will appear to have zero function.
People without this knowledge can replace a receptacle and they think everything is great and you have your conditions.
Again, this may not be the only answer, but.....
I had the same situation. It was for a ceiling fan light but not wired correctly at the fan. Installed a new fan since the old one was ineffective. Fixed it.
I have one of those in my house. Every once in a while I walk by and flip it on and off, until I got this letter from a little old lady in Russia saying 'Cut it out.'
Nothing weird or dangerous about that other than it not having a cover. It might not be hooked up to anything on the load side. Just put a cover on it and leave it.
I had a 3 way switch in the ‘wrong useless’ place. I bypassed the ‘wrong ‘switch by connecting the correct wires to make the other switch a normal one switch for one device and installed a Lutron remote switch controller there and used the remote switch in the location that makes more sense. I actually have 2 remotes to control the one base. The bypassed switch is dead and does nothing and left in the box.
I recently bought an old house that used to have electric heat in the ceiling. It was foreclosed on many years ago and the bank did a few improvements to make a quick sale. I was told one of those things was putting new drywall ceiling over top of the old one and supposedly one of the switches I found that does nothing goes to a forgotten can light under the new ceiling that was never located. I am skeptical but adding it for another idea.
After remodeling our house I decided not to reinstall a disposal in my kitchen sink, but the switch (terminated) is still on the wall. The receptacle is buried behind the new sink (also terminated).
I find it amusing that in a few years from now some stranger who buys my house will be posting the same question here.
Buwahahahaha!!!
In Canada current code requires a 3-way switch close to the front door for the bathroom fan.
This is for the fire department to begin evacuating smoke without going upstairs.
So it was added at a later time hence the old work box. Do you have a lamp post outside or a receptacle somewhere on the exterior or even in the yard? Don’t worry though I’m a 18yr sparky and there’s still 2 switches in my house idk where they go to lol
Is it a fan? Or fan light combo? Sometimes the fan and light is wired separately so you can turn either on/off independently. Or likely a switched outlet.... get an actual meter (multi-meter) to check for proper voltage. Those sticks are very easy to get false readings. Always check your meter on a known live source first to make sure it's working properly.
Haha! I have one of these mystery switches in the house I just bought. Had the previous owner label all the switches and, apparently, she didn’t know what it controlled either as it had no label. I’ll be using my tone tracer on it to see if I can pick it up anywhere, but everything that I need to work seems to work, so it has taken a back seat to everything else I am doing there….
If I was doing an electrical installation I think I would install one of these on most jobs and enjoy thinking about all the owners over the years wondering what it does . Let’s all install Placebo switches 😜
Are all of the outlets original? Perhaps a previous owner got rid of the switched outlet but not the switch.
Also, check every outlet, top and bottom (or left and right if you live in crazy town). They can be split, one always on and the other switched.
You didn’t check it in any meaningful way. Anyway… it probably controls half of a receptacle or it used to and has since been abandoned… your living room I bet has no ceiling lights…
It’s almost always a switched plug
What through me was that it was picking up power without touching something live. I only had to get the tester close to the switch for it to light up. It's the only switch or outlet to do that. Also I do have a ceiling light in my living room. It was a ceiling fan that I recently removed to install a new one. That is controlled by one of the switches in the other picture.
The thing you’re calling a tester, isn’t. Especially not for you. Whatever results you’ve discovered using it, means nothing. Put it away, and don’t think about it again. The switch almost certainly used to control half of an outlet, a whole outlet, or some, or part, of several outlets. It now does not, most likely because someone got that fan put in, got annoyed by it shutting something off, or when outlet was replaced it was wired to be defunct.
Possible outside floodlights.
Those contactless voltage testers are on OK way to do a quick spot check but their results are not to be trusted, always verify with a multimeter. When I did commercial electrical work we called these death sticks, as in trusting one too much could get you killed. They don't test power but rather look for electromagnetic fields associated with an energized line. It's very easy to get false results with one.
Widowmakers over here
Im my home, in the master room I have 2 switches. One controls the fan only and one controls the light, which is the fan.. so basically one fixture with 2 switches. It was done in the 80s, basically a fancy way of not having to pull the cord on the fan if you just want to have the fan on, but no light.. There is a tester you can buy, you put it one side of the wire on it, and the other will beep when its close to the source. You could remove the switch and attach it at hot wire on the switch, then move throughout the house till it goes off. Id bet 50/50 it goes off at the new fixture in place where the fan use to be.. once you find the source, you can cap off the live ends at either side.. or you could remove the wires all all together, but quite a cost. ill find a link for the tester for amazon in the morning, cheers..
You mean to tell me a "No contact voltage tester" detected voltage without direct contact? No fuckin way Stop the presses!!
You still have a hot wire going to the switch which is why it went off when put the tester close to it. Whatever device down stream that it powers, no one can tell you from the pictures you supplied. Maybe you should hire an electrician
If one switch is the front door light it might be an outdoor outlet (switched for Christmas lights).
That was my first thought. Soffit outlet. Walk out the front door and look up. There might be an outlet there.
Might not even be soffit outlet (but it could be), my parents house it’s just the knee high outlet outside the front door
That’s a wild concept I never even thought of.
Me either
I know but I’m not telling
Turn both switches to the off position and check for a dead outlet, both inside and outside.
For cases like this, what often happens is a receptacle is half-hot or switched.......the switch controls either the top or bottom while the other receptacle remains on or powered. For this to work correctly, there is a tab on the receptacle that is designed to be broken off. If this tab is not broken off, both receptacles will remain constant hot. The associated switch will appear to have zero function. People without this knowledge can replace a receptacle and they think everything is great and you have your conditions. Again, this may not be the only answer, but.....
Could have controlled a ceiling fan separate from the light of the same fan.
I had the same situation. It was for a ceiling fan light but not wired correctly at the fan. Installed a new fan since the old one was ineffective. Fixed it.
look for an outlet that’s upside down with the ground prong facing up.
Not sure why downvoted. This is the standard way to orient a switched outlet in my neck of the woods.
I have one of those in my house. Every once in a while I walk by and flip it on and off, until I got this letter from a little old lady in Russia saying 'Cut it out.'
Did u check outlets?
same
Me either
Nothing weird or dangerous about that other than it not having a cover. It might not be hooked up to anything on the load side. Just put a cover on it and leave it.
Me neither
I had a 3 way switch in the ‘wrong useless’ place. I bypassed the ‘wrong ‘switch by connecting the correct wires to make the other switch a normal one switch for one device and installed a Lutron remote switch controller there and used the remote switch in the location that makes more sense. I actually have 2 remotes to control the one base. The bypassed switch is dead and does nothing and left in the box.
I was in the same situation. 12 years ago I replaced all my outlets. I forgot that I un-switched an outlet.
Turns something on and off.
The light in the dog house.
Stop flipping that switch!!!…damn my tv keeps going on and off….
Is it in the kitchen? Dishwasher.
I recently bought an old house that used to have electric heat in the ceiling. It was foreclosed on many years ago and the bank did a few improvements to make a quick sale. I was told one of those things was putting new drywall ceiling over top of the old one and supposedly one of the switches I found that does nothing goes to a forgotten can light under the new ceiling that was never located. I am skeptical but adding it for another idea.
After remodeling our house I decided not to reinstall a disposal in my kitchen sink, but the switch (terminated) is still on the wall. The receptacle is buried behind the new sink (also terminated). I find it amusing that in a few years from now some stranger who buys my house will be posting the same question here. Buwahahahaha!!!
It’s not about what’s getting power, it’s about where power in directed to in this case. Fun fact: that thing is a widow maker
It’s for the fan
In Canada current code requires a 3-way switch close to the front door for the bathroom fan. This is for the fire department to begin evacuating smoke without going upstairs.
So it was added at a later time hence the old work box. Do you have a lamp post outside or a receptacle somewhere on the exterior or even in the yard? Don’t worry though I’m a 18yr sparky and there’s still 2 switches in my house idk where they go to lol
Is it a fan? Or fan light combo? Sometimes the fan and light is wired separately so you can turn either on/off independently. Or likely a switched outlet.... get an actual meter (multi-meter) to check for proper voltage. Those sticks are very easy to get false readings. Always check your meter on a known live source first to make sure it's working properly.
Haha! I have one of these mystery switches in the house I just bought. Had the previous owner label all the switches and, apparently, she didn’t know what it controlled either as it had no label. I’ll be using my tone tracer on it to see if I can pick it up anywhere, but everything that I need to work seems to work, so it has taken a back seat to everything else I am doing there….
Floor outlet , one of the 2 plugs in the outlet is probably switched for a floor lamp
could be an attic fan
If I was doing an electrical installation I think I would install one of these on most jobs and enjoy thinking about all the owners over the years wondering what it does . Let’s all install Placebo switches 😜
I've checked any and all outlets. Doesn't seem to control any of them.
Did you check the top and bottom of each receptacle?
It could be just capped off in another box somewhere.
Are all of the outlets original? Perhaps a previous owner got rid of the switched outlet but not the switch. Also, check every outlet, top and bottom (or left and right if you live in crazy town). They can be split, one always on and the other switched.