wiring potlights with power to light

I have wired several sets of potlights in a new construction, and all but one situation had power to the switch and then to the lights. In one case though I mistakenly ran power from another switch box, to the first light and then ran cable from the last light to a switch. The power from the other switch box was pigtailed, but I soon realized that connecting blacks and whites together at the three lights completed the circuit. I have now re-wired it in a way that works, but want to know if it is correct. I have taken the white from power and connect whites to whites all the way through to the designated switch. I then run power black to one fixture wire, then the other fixture wire out through black to the next light and so on, so that the last fixture wire connects to the black back to switch. Comments?

 

It does not sound right, although your description is lacking in details.

To wire the switch at the end of the run would require that you use 3 conductor cable (14-3 or 12-3) from light to light. Did you do this, or is all the cable 2 conductor? (When I say 3 conductor cable and 2 conductor cable, I am NOT counting the ground wires.)

If you tell us how you did make the connections at each light and at each switch, we can better answer your question.

 

No, it was 14/2 wire that I ran in the entire run. For each light, I have a black and white fixture wire, so the cabling is follows:
- white from power connected at each light's box through to the end switch
- black from power connected to black fixture wire at first light, and then white fixture wire connected via black over to the next light, where it again connects to the black fixture wire, out via the white fixture wire and over to the third light using black, where it connects to the black fixture wire and out via the white fixture wire over black to the switch, where black and white connect to the switch.

 

You have wired these lights in series. Undo your wiring, it is wrong. You have approximately 40 volts across each fixture, and when one goes out they all will go out.

Without 14-3, you cannot use the end switch. Either replace the wiring from light to light use the initial switch to control the lights and abandon the end switch.

 

If it only I could do that. For one, the initial switch is in someone's bedroom which doesn't exactly make it convenient for those who want to turn on and off the hall lights. Second, all the drywall and plaster is already in place. These are also insulated pot lights (installed in the ceiling of the top floor) and they are installed between joists that go right up to the roof plwood.

 

If you ever want it to work right, you'll have to. It is probably possible to replace the cable without drywall damage (cans on recessed lights can be removed from below without drywall damage). Even if some drywall damage is unavoidable, it's just drywall. The stuff costs all of twenty cents a square foot and can be installed with simple tools.