diddlydudette's profile

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81 Messages

Friday, November 1st, 2013 11:10 PM

Uverse installed Oct 9, 2013. Now not liking how he wired the living room TV.

I had just moved into a rental home the day before the guy came to install TV/internet. In my living room, there were a couple of light switches that would turn on the outside lights and inside lights....not anymore.

 

After he installed, both of those switches now turn on/off the TV. I'm all the time accidentally hitting those switches. I miss my switches for outdoor and indoor lights. One of the switches was handy for when first walking into the house, the switch was right by the door to turn on an inside lamp. Now that switch turns off the TV power and I can't turn on indoor lighting without walking across the dark room to get to the lamp.

 

At first I thought I'd just put up with it but actually it's become a big inconvenience.

 

Am I asking too much to have the guy come back and fix that? Is that a lot involved and will they charge to come back out? Thanks.

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Expert

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10.1K Messages

10 years ago

diddlydudette - I guess I had your original problem backwards - I thought you were complaining about turning off the TV with the switch. It is agreed that the outlet behind the TV is ONLY switched??. If this is the case you do not want to plug the TV and the STB into that outlet. They want to stay on all the time. This may be contributing to your second problem.

But, first - check the outlet to verify both are switched. If you are lucky one is not. Or, if there is constant power in that outlet box it could easily be wired by an electrician. Then you can plug in the TV/STB. If not you should extend it to the nearest non-switched outlet.

As skeeter says, the OK screen is a screen saver. But, the original intent is to break the cycle when the on/off for the TV/STB is out of synch. When you press the power button it sends power toggle to the STB & power toggle to the TV. If one of the two should not respond, you are out of synch. Addl presses will reverse the condition but not correct it because the IR is a toggle, not a discrete on or off. But, when you see the OK screen - pressing OK will break the cycle and turn on the STB.

If you never get in this out of synch condition, like skeeter, you will never see this screen. Since you are disconnecting power with the wall switch from the TV and STB, when you flip that wall switch, both devices must reboot. If one is slow, you will be out of synch. This is why you need to keep both powered. Then aim the remote long enough to send both IR signals.

Just do not use the same switched outlet for the lamp and the STB/TV. One or the other. If for the TV put some tape over the switch. Best if the outlet can do both switched & non-switched.

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

10 years ago

Obviously the outlet that the TV is plugged into is controlled by that light switch. 

 

Plug the TV into a different outlet.

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

10 years ago

And then you can plug the lamp back in to that outlet.  I've seen some outlets wired such that either the top or bottom is switch controlled and the other isn't.  Maybe you're plugged into one of those?

 

Mentor

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81 Messages

10 years ago

It used to be set up when I entered the house through the front door I could turn on the lamp by flipping on light switch beside the door as I walked in. Now that light switch turns on the TV.

 

The TV is sitting on a built in shelf in the living room. There is an outlet directly behind the TV where it is plugged into. The DVR receiver is plugged into one slot in the outlet and the TV the other.

 

The guy did a lot of wiring under the house and drilling, etc. so just assumed me not being able to use that light switch to turn on a light any more was a result of something he did under the house when he was doing some wiring.

 

I'm not going to make a big fuss and will put up with it but thought maybe if an easy fix, would ask if someone could come out and fix. 

 

When I switch the TV and receiver plugs in the outlet, then of course the light switch turns on and off the receiver. I just would like the light switch to turn on a light so I don't have to walk into a dark house.

 

The lamp was never plugged into the TV outlet. The TV outlet is on the wall of the built-in shelf and no where close to the lamp. I have to use that outlet on shelf for the TV/Receiver as it is right there behind where they both sit.

 

The lamp used to turn on and off by that light switch and would love to have that working again.

 

Maybe I'm not explaining very well. That could very well be. 🙂

 

 

Mentor

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81 Messages

10 years ago

My TV and receiver - Outlet is behind them

 

Maybe this helps. Outlet is behind the TV where receiver and TV is plugged into. The lamp was never plugged into that outlet.

1 Attachment

Expert

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10.1K Messages

10 years ago

diddlydudette - It is very common for wall switches to control wall outlets so you can control lights as you enter & exit the room. This can cause difficulty in finding a non-switched outlet for things that must have constant power. That is one reason they have the top/bottom method for switched/non-switched.

It can be very difficult to change the wiring after the initial construction. A U-verse tech would never change electric wiring. It is the landlords responsibility.

I use an extension cord to get my alarm clock to a non-switched outlet. That does not appear to be a good solution for you.

At least map out which outlets are controlled by switches & see what you can use. If it is an unreasonable mapping check with the landlord to see if an electrician can change the wiring.

ACE - Master

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6.9K Messages

10 years ago

AT&T technicians are not electricians. Whoever wired the house screwed up and put the outlet where the tv is on the same switch as the lamp outlet.  You are going to either have to move the tv or find an outlet that isn't connected to that switch.

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

10 years ago

Unfortunately,  since you just moved there, you have no way of knowing if that outlet has always been controlled by the wall switch.  As oufan said, ATT installers are NOT electricians and would have no need (or even the knowledge) to change up your wiring.

 

Did the installer leave his card or followup sheet?  You could possibly call him and ask if he changed anything while he was under the house.  But that sounds unlikely.

 

I'd call the landlord first and ask if he knows anything about it and if not, would he pay for a licensed electrican to change the circuitry in the room.

 

 

New Member

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25.7K Messages

10 years ago

Go by a power strip (6 outlet or whatever) and find the outlet the TV is plugged into.  Unplug it from there.  There will now be another plug on the same outlet with somethiong plugged into it.  Unplug that plug and plug in the power strip.  Whatever you removed from the outlet plug into the power strip.  Plug your lamp back into the empty one and you should be back in business. 

Mentor

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81 Messages

10 years ago

Thanks everyone!  I had a duh moment not thinking to plug both into a powerstrip. That's a great idea to prevent my light switches from turning either on/off by accident.

 

I realize the installer isn't an electrician.

 

I didn't know if maybe while he was drilling or under my house doing whatever he was doing if he somehow fixed it to where I can no longer use my light switch to turn on lamp. This particular switch did used to turn on the lamp but no longer did since he was here. That made me think the installer did something to change it to turn on TV instead.  I don't want an ugly extension cord coming from behind the TV just so I can plug in my lamp which sits rather far away from where the TV sits.

 

No problem....no biggie. I'll just have to purchase a smaller lamp (and sit it on the book shelf above the TV) or night light and plug into the outlet that is controlled by the empty outlet behind TV now.

 

Thanks everyone!

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