Installing two light switches on one hot wire

Question

I'm installing recessed lights. I have one hot wire coming from the box. I have branched two lines to the lights, 3 lights on each branch. So coming to my switch box is the two lines for the 6 lights and the one hot wire. Do I tie the blacks together and piggy back two wires to the two switches I'm installing, wire nut all the whites together, and wire nut all the grounds together? Or do twist the grounds together and have them touch the green s***w on each switch?

Answer 1

Do wirenut all the whites together.

Do wirenut all the grounds together, with a pigtail to each switch.

(You'll need a BIG wirenut or multi-wire ground clip.)

Identify the black power line.

With a wirenut tie two pigtails to that line.

Tie them to the line terminals of your switches.

Take the black from each set of lights to the load terminal of the switch chosen to control it.

You're done.

Answer 2

as Irv just said is correct!

Answer 3

Take the hot wire to both switches and take one of the wires carrying three lights to each switch.  If you tie them all together, you defeat the purpose of branching the circuit.  Then tie all the whites together.

Either way will work with the grounds.  It is probably safer to have each of the switches grounded.

Answer 4

I second the statement, Irv is correct.