Go Back  DoItYourself.com Community Forums > Electrical, AC & DC. Electronic Equipment and Computers > Electrical - AC & DC
Reload this Page >

Need help please. Totally confused on what's going on here. Switch+light

Need help please. Totally confused on what's going on here. Switch+light


  #1  
Old 08-24-13, 02:15 PM
P
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Lightbulb Need help please. Totally confused on what's going on here. Switch+light

Hello helpful,

I bought a dining room light and having a really hard time getting it installed properly. I bought the light from Ikea and only found out after I got home that I can't use a dimmer switch on it.

I took the dimmer off the wall and the way it was connected - 1 red wire on the top and 2 twisted black wires on the bottom. I figured it would be a piece of cake to set it up. I bought a regular light switch. Connected it. Turned it on and the old light worked properly.

After I disconnected the wires from the old light on the ceiling, I connected the red to one wire on the new light and the 2 blacks to the other side of the unconnected wire. Turn on the switch and get nothing? It doesn't make any sense to me why the old light would work fine and then connect the new one the same way and nothing happens.

I ended up taking the light off. Took the switch off the wall. I tested the cables with my voltage tester and when I touch the red and twisted black wires, I get super low voltage. I'm guessing this is why the light isn't turning on.

I'm not experienced with working with electricity, so I'm not just taking chances on twisting some wires and hoping for the best. The only thing I know right now is that in the switch on the wall, there is 1 red wire, 2 twisted together black wires and 2 wire nutted white wires. I undid the wire nut. If I connect my tester to the white pair and the black pair, my tester is bright and the light actually works when I connect it to it.

If I connect the switch to the black pair and white pair, when I turn on the switch, it blows the breaker? I'm really at a loss on why this is not working. Anybody have any ideas? Wife's starting to get frustrated
 

Last edited by Nashkat1; 08-24-13 at 02:54 PM. Reason: Add peregraphs
  #2  
Old 08-24-13, 02:26 PM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
I connected the red to one wire on the new light and the 2 blacks to the other side of the unconnected wire.
The light needs to be connected to a hot and a neutral. Neutrals are white, never black or red. Since red is often a switched hot I'd try red and white. If the light has two wires the same color the white goes to the one that has a rib on it.

P.S. Please use proper paragraphs in the future. Your post was so hard to read I almost gave up trying.
 
  #3  
Old 08-24-13, 03:05 PM
pcboss's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 13,976
Received 194 Upvotes on 170 Posts
You should not have two wires under the same screw head. A pigtail should be used.
 
  #4  
Old 08-24-13, 07:30 PM
P
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi Ray,

Sorry for the messed up paragraphs. I did what you said and it totally worked. Thanks for the help

The wall switch has the red wire on the top screw and the twisted black wires on the bottom screw. I turned on the switch and tested the white and red wires on the ceiling and I got voltage. Light is installed and the wife's happy.

Thank you for your help.
 
  #5  
Old 08-24-13, 08:08 PM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
Glad you got it but....
the wife's happy
But we aren't. You can't put two wires on a screw. As PCBoss said you must connect the wires to a pigtail 6"-8" long the same color and gauge and connect the pigtail to the switch.
 
  #6  
Old 08-24-13, 08:25 PM
Nashkat1's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 7,458
Upvotes: 0
Received 6 Upvotes on 5 Posts
The wall switch has... the twisted black wires on the bottom screw.
How did you get a two-wire splice connected to a screw terminal?
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: