Light Wiring Q and A Part 1
Q. I have a two-socket outlet in the kitchen, and want to install a light switch next to it for an under-the-counter light. Is this possible?
A. It's possible certainly, and some DIY books even give step-by-step instructions for this project, but it would be a code violation to do so. You are not allowed to add lighting to kitchen receptacles. The receptacle circuits reserve all their power for those power-hungry kitchen appliances. Your best bet is to add your new lighting to the circuit serving the existing kitchen lighting.
Q. I'm confused about is how to wire the lights. I had thought that the lights were connected in a "daisy chain" fashion. That does not seem the case as each light has only one set of wires to it, and nowhere to connect another set of wires to continue the chain. I only have about 8 inches of wiring coming out of the wall, and about 5 feet of cabinet to light up. Each light has about 4 feet of wiring with it. Do I need some sort of a junction box where all the light wiring meets?
A. Daisy chaining does not mean that the fixture provides two sets of connections. It means that the input wires the power source, the output wires to the next fixture, and the fixture wires all connect together. Low voltage connections are better done in an electrical box, but the box is not required.
Q. I plan to install lighting under wall cabinets to light counter tops. I am thinking of using the "hockey puck" style. They come in 12 or 110 volt. What is the advantage/disadvantage of one over the other?
A. Unless the fixtures you want are only available in 12 volt, I'd always choose the 120-volt fixtures. There's no transformer, and the wires don't need to be as big.
Q. The books show all kinds of fancy three-way and four-way wiring combinations, but isn't this the most commonly used situation? I want to know where I need to use 14-3 or 14-2, and if this will be what is called a loop wire, where the white will be designated the power wire. Also, how many light fixtures should I run on this one circuit? Can I also run the power to outlets in this line up?
A. There's a million different ways to wire something like this up. You won't find a million diagrams, so you need to create your own. Your cabling plan is definitely not the one I'd use, but it can be made to work. If I use "-" to mean 14/2 and "=" to mean 14/3, here are just a few of the many possible cabling plans. I'd use the first one.
a. Power - switch1 - switch2 - switch3, and switch1 - light1, and switch2 - light2, and switch3 - light3.
b. Power - switch1 = light1 - switch2 = light2 - switch3 - light3.
c. Power - switch1 = light1 - light2 = switch2 - light3 - switch3.
There are million more. The basic idea is that each switch needs a source of un-switched power, and each light needs a source of switched power. If the switch is downstream of the light it controls, and if the switch is not the last thing on the run, you need 14/3 from the light to the switch. If the light is downstream of the switch that controls it, and there is anything else after the light, you need 14/3 from the switch to the light it controls. In all other cases, you only need 14/2.
Q. I'm simply changing out the traditional switches with flat switches throughout the house. I haven't had any problems until now, in the kitchen fluorescent light. The light is controlled by three switches and I have changed out two of three. The last one - a single switch - has 4 wires running to it, 2 black and 2 red, and says AC only. I'm a "layman" here, but my switches I've been using have room for only two wires and the ground, a green screw. None of the other two controlling the same light had this problem. Do I need a different switch for this outlet or are the additional wires useless?
A. You need a different switch at all three locations for this circuit. You will need two 3-way switches and a 4-way switch. If you used single switches in the place of the 3-ways, the light will not be switched properly. On the 3-way switches, look for a common screw. That wire must go to the common screw of your new switch. The common screw may not be in the same location as the old switches. The 4-way switch will have terminals marked as in and out.
Q. I have everything wired and ready for some low volt fixtures in my basement. My questions are, can I run two 50 watt fixtures off one transformer providing it has 100+ watt rating, or do I need to use separate transformers for each individual fixture? I want them on the same switch. I need a 300-watt transformer, and the lighting store only stocks a 150-watt. Can I double up two 150's to get the 300 watts needed?
A. Yes, you can run two 50-watt fixtures off a transformer rated for at least 100 watts. But no, you cannot run a single 300-watt fixture off two 150-watt transformers.
A. It's possible certainly, and some DIY books even give step-by-step instructions for this project, but it would be a code violation to do so. You are not allowed to add lighting to kitchen receptacles. The receptacle circuits reserve all their power for those power-hungry kitchen appliances. Your best bet is to add your new lighting to the circuit serving the existing kitchen lighting.
Q. I'm confused about is how to wire the lights. I had thought that the lights were connected in a "daisy chain" fashion. That does not seem the case as each light has only one set of wires to it, and nowhere to connect another set of wires to continue the chain. I only have about 8 inches of wiring coming out of the wall, and about 5 feet of cabinet to light up. Each light has about 4 feet of wiring with it. Do I need some sort of a junction box where all the light wiring meets?
A. Daisy chaining does not mean that the fixture provides two sets of connections. It means that the input wires the power source, the output wires to the next fixture, and the fixture wires all connect together. Low voltage connections are better done in an electrical box, but the box is not required.
Q. I plan to install lighting under wall cabinets to light counter tops. I am thinking of using the "hockey puck" style. They come in 12 or 110 volt. What is the advantage/disadvantage of one over the other?
A. Unless the fixtures you want are only available in 12 volt, I'd always choose the 120-volt fixtures. There's no transformer, and the wires don't need to be as big.
Q. The books show all kinds of fancy three-way and four-way wiring combinations, but isn't this the most commonly used situation? I want to know where I need to use 14-3 or 14-2, and if this will be what is called a loop wire, where the white will be designated the power wire. Also, how many light fixtures should I run on this one circuit? Can I also run the power to outlets in this line up?
A. There's a million different ways to wire something like this up. You won't find a million diagrams, so you need to create your own. Your cabling plan is definitely not the one I'd use, but it can be made to work. If I use "-" to mean 14/2 and "=" to mean 14/3, here are just a few of the many possible cabling plans. I'd use the first one.
a. Power - switch1 - switch2 - switch3, and switch1 - light1, and switch2 - light2, and switch3 - light3.
b. Power - switch1 = light1 - switch2 = light2 - switch3 - light3.
c. Power - switch1 = light1 - light2 = switch2 - light3 - switch3.
There are million more. The basic idea is that each switch needs a source of un-switched power, and each light needs a source of switched power. If the switch is downstream of the light it controls, and if the switch is not the last thing on the run, you need 14/3 from the light to the switch. If the light is downstream of the switch that controls it, and there is anything else after the light, you need 14/3 from the switch to the light it controls. In all other cases, you only need 14/2.
Q. I'm simply changing out the traditional switches with flat switches throughout the house. I haven't had any problems until now, in the kitchen fluorescent light. The light is controlled by three switches and I have changed out two of three. The last one - a single switch - has 4 wires running to it, 2 black and 2 red, and says AC only. I'm a "layman" here, but my switches I've been using have room for only two wires and the ground, a green screw. None of the other two controlling the same light had this problem. Do I need a different switch for this outlet or are the additional wires useless?
A. You need a different switch at all three locations for this circuit. You will need two 3-way switches and a 4-way switch. If you used single switches in the place of the 3-ways, the light will not be switched properly. On the 3-way switches, look for a common screw. That wire must go to the common screw of your new switch. The common screw may not be in the same location as the old switches. The 4-way switch will have terminals marked as in and out.
Q. I have everything wired and ready for some low volt fixtures in my basement. My questions are, can I run two 50 watt fixtures off one transformer providing it has 100+ watt rating, or do I need to use separate transformers for each individual fixture? I want them on the same switch. I need a 300-watt transformer, and the lighting store only stocks a 150-watt. Can I double up two 150's to get the 300 watts needed?
A. Yes, you can run two 50-watt fixtures off a transformer rated for at least 100 watts. But no, you cannot run a single 300-watt fixture off two 150-watt transformers.
Visit our Community Forums for more answers to your home improvement questions.