Completely disconnected outdoor flood lights?

Hi,

I am hoping someone can give me some home electric advice with a wiring issue I am having.

I recently bought a home, and I have two floodlights outside which do not work. I do not have much experience working with electic, but I figured I would be able to at least diagnose why there is no power going to these lights.

After taking off the fixture and seeing with a multimeter that no power at all was coming through the wires, I went up into the attic to look at the actual wiring. I discovered three wires that had been shoved into a small cutout in one of the rafters, the cutout being about the size of a quarter in diameter. I pulled the wires out and they were not connected to anything, as if they had been cut, or previously joined together in some way. I traced the wires back to their origin: one going to each of the flood light fixtures, and one going to the circuit breaker box. I then went into my garage and discovered that the other end of the wire going to the circuit breaker box was not connected.

I have a few questions:
Does anyone have an idea of why these wires may be in their current state instead of being connected?
Is this something that I could fix myself easily, or am I in over my head with having limited experience working on electric.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Will

 

I hope you were meaning "cables" when you said "wires" in your post. Did you find a cable going to a switch as well?

 

You could do a continuity check between all conductors--possible making sure there is no break in the conductors. If everything checks out, then you may be able to hook-up everything, and get things working (depending). You will have to install an accessible junction box with the appropriate cover plate for the cut wires, or any splice points. No switch is needed--if the fixtures (Or luminaries) has some sort of built in switch (Ex: Photo cell).
The above may not be an absolute resolution, but it’s a start.
This may be over your head—depending on the situation, and your skill set.

 

@ wirepuller,
You make a good point, but the word wires is used loosely to mean—I believe—cables. Yet, if the conductors in a cable are exposed. Can we not call them wires??

Good question—seeing that a DIY may call an individual conductor a wire. Which opens the door to other code issues—if the conductors aren’t installed per code. Personally, i say wires—to mean cables. Not the best practice

 

We try to educate the newbies of correct terminology other wise we can end up chasing wild geese instead of helping them. Example: Member says he has a yellow wire at the light. Do we assume that this is conduit and he is speaking of what is usually by standard practice a switched conductor or does (s)he have #12 NM-b cable. Heck, I've been confused by Canadian posters who spoke of red wire and meant a type of Canadian NM-b cable intended for 240v use only that has a red sheath.

 

Ic!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!
ic!!!