I have a kitchen light fixture that stopped working, the light bulbs worked in another fixture so I figured I needed a new fixture. Bought a new one and it still won't work. When I test the power at the fixture box in the ceiling I read around 115v with my multimeter. But when I hook up the new fixture and test for voltage I get nothing. The wall switch seems to be working because when I test for voltage with the switch off I read nothing and with the switch on I read 115v. So something seems to happen when I hook up the fixture, any ideas?

 

Welcome to the forums.

You need to check for 120vac with the fixture connected. You may have a loose connection that will allow enough current to flow to allow the meter to read but not enough to light the light.

 

When I attach the new fixture and test I don't read any voltage.

 

How are you testing voltage at the switch. Which wires are you using for your test? Are you testing hot to neutral in the fixture? If so, test hot to ground and let us know what you have.

 

If you don't read any voltage from black to white.
Try black to ground and white to ground.
Then check at the switch.

You need to find out whether you are losing hot or neutral.

 

I haven't tested voltage at the switch however when I'm testing the hot and neutral at the ceiling receptacle with the switch on I'm getting 110V, same wires with the switch off no voltage.

 

At the ceiling receptacle testing black and white gives me around 110v, testing black and ground gives me a little higher reading about 115v.

 

So you're getting the voltage with the light connected ?
If the light isn't working.... it's defective.

 

I get voltage without the light connected, both hot and neutral and hot and ground. When I connect the fixture I don't get voltage when I test hot and neutral but do get it with hot and ground. As soon as I remove the fixture I get voltage again on hot and neutral.

 

Does power come in at the light or the switch. You should redo the connections where power comes in. Remove any wire nuts and redo the connection.

 

You are losing your neutral (white) then.

You will need to leave the light connected at the ceiling..... go to the switch and measure from hot to neutral there.

 

I'm getting 115v at the switch

 

The wiring to the switch has 2 neutrals, 2 hot and 2 ground\
The GFI in the same box is on a different breaker and works fine.

 

I did try connecting the 2 neutrals at the switch to one of the neutrals at the GFI and the light actually worked but the GFI stopped working.

 

When you are checking at the switch for power..... is the light connected ? It should be.


On edit: The GFI probably tripped when you cross connected the neutrals.

 

Yes the light was connected when I checked the switch.
I tried resetting the GFI but nothing, so I put everything back to original configuration. The GFI is fed by 2-3 strand wires, right now the neutral from the GFI is connected to the two other neutrals in the junction box. When I connect the two neutrals from the line that feeds the light to one of the lines that feeds the GFI the light works and the GFI doesn't. I'm assuming it's not feasible to tie all the neutrals together(basically I would have 5 neutrals tied together), probably not a good idea right?

 

No reason not to as long as the correct connector is used.

 

Would it just be a bigger wire nut? I'm pretty sure that would fix the problem at this point.

 

Gray or blue should do it.The GFCI neutrals have to remain separate. Rule is with multiple circuits in the box you never combine the neutrals of two different circuits (unsafe) but do combine all grounds.

 

I'm confused then, if I was to tie all the neutrals together I would be combining neutrals from two different circuits which you mention I shouldn't do. Right now the GFI has 3 neutrals connected( 1 from the GFI switch connected to 2 separate neutrals not associated with the light switch) If I was to connect the 2 neutrals which feed the light to the 3 neutrals from the GFI that would break the rule of combining neutrals of different circuits. So I really can't tie these 5 together correct?