Help! Need to wire new ceiling light to electrical box having many wires!

I have tried and tried, but can't figure out how to connect a new ceiling light to the ceiling electrical box. My ceiling electrical box has eight (8) wires (not counting ground wires) coming out of it. From what I can tell, they appear to be as follows:

a. 1 black (hot) power source
b. 2 black that connect to 2 separate wall outlets
c. 1 black that connects to the light switch (which is a dimmer light switch)
d. 1 white that corresponds to the black power source
e. 2 white that correspond to the 2 black that connect to 2 separate wall outlets
f. 1 white that corresponds to the black that connects to the light switch

In addition, there is 1 white wire and 1 black wire coming out of the ceiling light that I am trying to install.

When I connect a to b, and d to e, the wall outlets work fine. However, I can't figure out the combination of connections to also power the new ceiling light.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Welcome to the forums.

You have a 4" round ceiling box with 4) two wire cables coming in and you are adding another one for five cables ? Isn't the box a little over filled ?

 

I think you have a switch loop. Tell us what wires are in the switch box and how they are connected.

 

It is quite full. But this is how the previous owner (or whoever before him) originally installed everything. I am just trying to replace the ceiling light.

 

Switch box has one black, one white. White on top right, black on bottom right. Nothing attached to green ground.

 

a. 1 black (hot) power source
b. 2 black that connect to 2 separate wall outlets
c. 1 black that connects to the light switch (which is a dimmer light switch)
d. 1 white that corresponds to the black power source
e. 2 white that correspond to the 2 black that connect to 2 separate wall outlets
f. 1 white that corresponds to the black that connects to the light switch

Connect A + B + F (The white "F" wire should be recolored to black, white or red)
Connect D + E + white of the fixture.
Connect C to the black wire of the fixture.

 

PJmax, thanks for the suggestion.

I tried it, but unfortunately it did not work. In addition, the wall outlets no longer had power.

Just to be sure, I also tried the following alternate configuration:

Connect A + B + C
Connect D + E + white of the fixture.
Connect F to the black wire of the fixture.

Unfortunately the same outcome as with your suggestion.

Any other tips or suggestions?

Thanks.

 

PJmax, actually, the wall outlets do work for your configuration. So it's just the light fixture still not working. I am wondering whether it could be the light switch itself that is broken.

 

FINAL UPDATE: it turns out that the switch was broken. Don't know what the issue was, but when I disconnected it and installed a new switch, everything worked.

Thanks again, PJmax, for providing me with the configuration.

 

You're welcome. Glad you got the problem resolved.