I'm trying to wire a bathroom light in my 1955 home. The half bath has one light switch, one outlet, and one light socket. The light switch that I'm attempting to hook the light to has two separate sets of wires coming into the light hook up.

One set of wires has 2 black and 2 white grouped together coming into the box, the other wire coming in has a white and a black. How should I connect all of these? Should it be all three blacks connected going to the black wire of the light fixture, and all three whites connected to each other going to the light fixtures white wire?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

You aparently have three boxes. A switch box, a recepticle box and a light fixture box.
Which wires are in each box?
If you do not have a simple voltage tester, purchase one and identify the hot pair and the box that it is in.
You do this by shutting off the circuit, removing the fixtures, switches and plugs and seperate the wires, turn the circuit back on and touch the ends of the wires, individually, with the voltage tester and when you have a reading, this should be the hot pair.

 

How was everything wired before you started?

 

I posted a few days ago and got a couple of replies. I don't have a voltage tester and I don't remember how the old light was wired before...shame on me At any rate, I've included links to a picture of my light switch box and labeled where the wires are coming in from). If any one can give me some help on what to wire to what I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

light itself

light switch box

 

There's not enough information in those pictures. You have to identify the two sets of wires that are labeled as "don't know". One of those sets of wires goes to the light switch, and one set probably goes on to other receptacles or lights. A multimeter or voltage tester is likely the only way to figure this out.

 

Not totally sure which set of wires is going to the light switch. I know for sure that the ones identified in the picture as going to the electrical outlet actually go to the electrical outlet. I've identified the wire that is hot. It appears to be the only hot wire in the light fixture box, whether I have the light switch on or not. Is this possible? Let me know what other info is needed. Here is the updated picture.

light fixture box

thanks

 

I've remodeled a half bath in my 1955 home. The bathroom used to have a light switch and a light/outlet combo in the light itself. A little more background... There were two sets of wires coming into the light electrical box. Each with a white and a black wire. I've put in an outlet and have left these added wires going to the outlet into the light's electrical box. I've identified the hot black wire that was already going into the box, but I haven't been able to get the wires wired right to to have the outlet have power and make the light turn on and off. I need to know which wires to hook up to what. Here's a link to the picture of the wires coming into the light's electrical box and their details. I've gotten a few responses before saying more info was needed. Hopefully I've gathered all the info for someone to help me solve this problem. Thanks!

light fixture box

 

Connect the HOT wire black to the new receptacle black and the switch white.
Connect the remaning two whites(new receptacle and incoming power) together with the light white.
Connect the light black to the switch black.

Add some clamps to those cables to clamp the cable in the box.

Connect all grounds to each other and the box.

 

Thanks! that works like a champ and I didn't even get shocked

thanks again!

 

Could you describe the wiring at the light switch and indicate if any of those wires are hot?

 

Managed to get if working. Thanks for your response though!