Recessed Lighting

I'm new here so please bear with me. I just bought a home. It had 3 incandecent lights in the basement. I just installed 6 recessed lighting fixtures by running 14/2 one to the other. Now I went to run the power from an existing light fixture. It has a 14/2 coming from the circuit breaker box, a 14/2 running to another incandecent fixture, and there was a 14/3 coming from the light switch. It is not a 3 way switch. It is the only switch for the basement lights. The switch has a red hooked up to it and a black with the whites tied off. Now my question is, do I run the black wire coming from the breaker box to the red of the switch, and then the black from the switch to the black of the recessed lights? And would 6 60 watt Halogen bulbs with 2 70 watt incandesent bulbs be too much of a load on the 1 switch and breaker? God any help that you guys can give me would be a lifesaver!!! I have everything all ready to be wired up with the exception of the power and the switch. Thanks alot to who ever can answer this one!!!!

 

Do you want the existing switch to control both the old lights and the new ones? Or do you want a new switch to control the new lights?

If the former, then run a new cable from the last (or first) new light to any one of the existing incandescent lights. At the incandescent light, simply attach your new cable to the same wires the existing light is connected to. Leave everything else alone.

If the latter, then run a new cable from the box where the power cable comes into the first existing incandescent light to the new switch box. At the existing light, connect the new cable to the power cable wires without altering any other connections. Then run a second new cable from the new switch box to the first (or last) new light. At the new switch, connect the whites to each other and the blacks to the switch.

In both situations, leave the existing switch alone.

 

John thanks for the fast reply. I was going to run wire from the existing switch to the new lights and also another wire from the existing switch to a new switch for the incandecent lights. But I don't know what to do with the red wire coming from the existing switch. Does that go to the black coming from the breaker box to supply power to the switch?

 

The solution I already presented would work fine. But if you really want to get the power from the switch instead, then I'll need more detail. Tell me exactly what you mean by, "The switch has a red hooked up to it and a black with the whites tied off"? This makes it sound like there is only one wire attached to the switch. That doesn't make sense. And what exactly do you mean by "tied off"?

 

John here is the lay out. The switch in the wall has a 14/3 coming into it. It has a red wire and a black wire attached to the switch. there is another wire a 14/2 leaving the switch box(I don't know where this one goes and does not effect the recessed lights). The wires are hooked up as follows. Red to the switch, blacks all tied together with a black going to the switch, and all the whites tied together. The 14/3 wire hooked up to the switch was hooked up to the 14/2(Black,white,copper) Coming from the breaker box to a light fixture in the ceiling. The only problem is that after I shut off the breaker, I cut the wires and can't figure out where to tie in the power to the switch. Do I hook up the Black wire coming from the breaker box to the red wire going to the switch, and then the black wire from the switch to the blacks on the recessed lights, to supply power to them when the switch is thrown? I'm lost here and don't want to blow anything up if ya know what I mean. Thank you for everything!

 

Okay, the switch wiring is now clear.

Now, tell me exactly what you cut, where you cut it, and why you cut it.

 

ok all of the wires were located at the old incandecent light fixture. I cut the wires that were going to the fixture(Light switch, breaker box, and another wire running to another light fixture). What I wanted to do now with the wires cut, was run the wire from the switch, to the new lights, and to the breaker box. So that way I would have the old set up the way it was, but with new lights. I can even send you a pic, I have a digital camera. I just didn't want to take up your whole evening over this. Let me know if this explains everything. I will turn on my Yahoo pager if you have one. My handle is skz4u. Thanks John!!

 

Unfortunately, you've made this project much harder than it should be. There are dozens of easy ways to do this, but none of them bear any similarity to your plans.

So if I understand you right, you only cut wires that were inside the box. Why didn't you just disconnect them instead?

I don't see why you would ever want to run a new cable to the breaker box. What purpose would that serve?

I suggest you first put everything back the way it was. I can certainly help you do that. Once you do that, you can run a cable to your new switch and on to your new lights either from the existing switch box or from the existing light box.

So at the box where you cut the wires, you have three cables, right? A 14/2 from the breaker, a 14/2 to another light, and a 14/3 to the switch, right?

At the ceiling box, connect all three black wires, but do not connect these to the light fixture. Connect all three white wires and also connect this to the white wire (or silver screw) of the fixture. Connect the red wire to the black wire (or brass screw) of the light. Of course, interconnect all grounding wires.

This should put things back the way they were. Turn the breaker back on and verify that things are as they were originally. Then post back.

 

No John I didn't cut the wires at the box. I cut them at the light fixture. I was going to run all of the old existing wire to the new lights to simplify the whole process. I just couldn't remember where the red wire connected to. The wires were too long thats why I cut them. I ran everything to 1 of the new lights. I am going to try to wire them the way that you just explained, but to the new light and see if that works. Thats alot for everything. I'll let ya know how it turns out!

 

By "the box" I did mean the box where the light was mounted.

This is a very, very strange project. Good luck.

 

I realized after I signed off last night, and after I finally figured out what you were doing, that my instructions contained an error. The black wire to the other lights should not be connected to the other black wires (i.e., the power cable black and the switch cable black. If you do what I said before, only the first light will be switched and the other lights will always be on. Instead, the black wire to the other lights should be connected to the red wire from the switch, and the black wire from the light fixture.

 

skz40; If my undersatnding is correct , the 14/2 cable connected to the 6 new fixture terminates in an existing C-O-B, in which there is a 14/2 "Feed-In" cable, a 14/2 to an existing fixture, and a 14/3 to a switch-outlet box.

At this juncture I suggest you make these conections in the C-O-B----- W-N all White wires together-------W-N the Black wire of the 14/2 "Feed-In" cable to the Black of the 14/3 "switch-cable"-----W-N the Red of the 14/3 "switch-cable" to the 2 Blacks of the 2 "Feed-out" cables to the liting-fixtures, one existing, and one new.

The S-P-S should now control all fixtures. I suggest you progress to this point---- if you do we'll have eliminated some confusion and then we'll decide "what's next". I have inferred that you want a seperate switch for the new fixtures.

Good Luck & Enjoy the Experience!!!!!!!

 

I just wanted to thank you guys for all of your expertise. I got it all wired up this morning and everything is working great!! I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks a bunch!!!!!