outdoor lights
#1
10-26-03, 02:16 PM
outdoor lights
Our house is only 5 years old and the contractor did not install the outdoor lights properly. A couple of years ago one of the lights just fell and was hanging by the electrical wires. We removed the light completely and put caps on the wires. After a while, my son in law decided to rewire the light and re-install it. Obviously he did something wrong because when we turned on the lights, we heard a loud pop and the breaker flipped off. Now the lights dont work anywhere. What could the problem be?
#2
10-26-03, 02:38 PM
Member
The most common mistake is to assume that matching all wires by color is the right way to do it. But when a switch loop is involved, that will produce the symptoms you describe.
Answer these three simple questions:[list=1][*]How many light fixtures are controlled by this switch? Is it just the one?[*]Ask your son-in-law (or go look yourself) how may black wires and how many white wires were in the box where he mounted the light. Was it one black and one white, or two blacks and two whites (not counting the wires from the light fixture itself)?[*]Do you (or your son-in-law) own a multimeter or a simple neon circuit tester.[/list=1]
Answer these three simple questions:[list=1][*]How many light fixtures are controlled by this switch? Is it just the one?[*]Ask your son-in-law (or go look yourself) how may black wires and how many white wires were in the box where he mounted the light. Was it one black and one white, or two blacks and two whites (not counting the wires from the light fixture itself)?[*]Do you (or your son-in-law) own a multimeter or a simple neon circuit tester.[/list=1]
