New ceiling light trips breaker for other room

Hello

I just installed a new cieling light in the living room, controlled by a general switch, that when turned on, trips the breaker for the bedroom (wall socket, no cieling light in bedroom). This still happens with nothing plugged into the bedroom socket. Prior to this install there was just a plate cover in the cieling. The breaker for the bedroom also happens to be the only one with a test button and square that changes color. Any idea what may fix this?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply if you do.

 

Welcome to the forums!

Just to be clear, the device that is tripping has a "TEST' and "RESET" buttons on it? It is installed in the wall and not in your electrical panel?

 

The test and color is on the breaker in the electrical panel

 

Does the breaker say AFCI or GFCI on it?

 

It says AFCI !!! Siemens. 15 on the switch.

 

Tell us the wiring in the ceiling box and at the switch. It is possible you wired a direct short at the switch if the ceiling wires weren't correct.

 

The wires on the light switch are orange (top) and black (bottom).

The wires in the fixture were black, white and green/yellow. I connected the fixture black to the ceiling/existing orange. The fixture white to the ceiling/existing White. And the green/yellow to the existing green.

In the existing cieling wires there were two sets of 4 white wires twisted together and there is also a set of 3 red wires and 5 or so other green wires twisted together.

The switch does turn the cieling lights on and off in this setup. But of course trips the breaker for the bedroom.

 

The switch was already wired.


And by the way. Did I mention I was a carpenter apprentice for two years so I think I know. But really I don't know jack.

Thanks for all the help so far. Incredibly appreciated!

 

There are also other cieling fixtures on the same breaker as the new one wired. Those don't trip the other breaker for the bedroom. So it very well could be the way I wires the new one. I think.....

 

You may have a loose connection that is arcing enough to trip the breaker. Remove the fixture and see if the breaker holds.

 

When you turn the new ceiling light on and it trips the breaker for the other room..... does the new light also go dead ?

If yes..... try disconnecting the ground to the fixture and run it on just the white and black only. Just let it hang if you can.

 

No it does not go dead. It remains fully functional and I am able to turn all the lights on that same breaker on and off. Just not able to have both the new light and other room breaker at the same time. I even tried turning all the other lights off and unplugging anything in the bedroom and it still tripped.

 

Did you try disconnecting just the ground wire and letting the fixture hang ?

You have one of two problems.... one is the neutral (white wire) and ground are touching in the fixture or socket OR somehow you have that new light connected to the wrong neutral.

 

Well after first shorting out the entire condo and having to get security to reset it from a different floor I have got it to work. There were 2 sets of 4 white wires twisted together in the cieling. I had connected one set originally. I switched to the other and all works fine.

Thank you all for your help. I can't express my gratitude enough for taking the time.

 

Which is why if you had told us it was not a single family dwelling we would have advised you not to work on it. Either call an electrician if you own it or ask the landlord to have it done if you rent.