Re-connecting My Kitchen Lights
#1
My wife and I are doing some painting and light fixture replacement in our kitchen. My wife pulled two lights off the ceiling to paint (I was not there at the time) and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to put the wiring back together so it all works.
There are two ceiling lights controlled by two separate wall switches. In the two ceiling boxes, there are 3 black, 3 white, and 2 red wires in each box (and bare ground wires) - plus one black and one white from the new fixture itself. I've tried a couple different scenarios, but the breaker trips everytime I try to turn it back on. Can anyone help me?
There are two ceiling lights controlled by two separate wall switches. In the two ceiling boxes, there are 3 black, 3 white, and 2 red wires in each box (and bare ground wires) - plus one black and one white from the new fixture itself. I've tried a couple different scenarios, but the breaker trips everytime I try to turn it back on. Can anyone help me?
#2
Looks like you are going to have to start fresh. Disconnect the power at the panel. Open the ligh switch boxes and look to see what color wires are connected to the switch. IF black and white are connected to the switch and the red wire is wire nutted off connected to nothing then disconnect all wires in both light fixture boxes. Take a continuity tester with the power off and touch the black and white wires of each cable. Turn your switch on and off while testing for continuity. A black and white wire should show continuity intermittently as the switch is turned on and off. This wire bend back for future referrence.
Now with all wires disconnected turn power back on. With a voltage tester find a black and white wires in the same cable and find what cable has power entering that box. Connect the white of that power cable to the white of the light fixture and the white of the bent back switch leg to the black of the light fixture. Then connect the two black wires of the cables together with a wire nut.
Test the fixture.
If you have two switches controlling hte same two light fixtures simulatinously then the above won't work.
If you have a black and red wire connected to the switch and the switch only has two screws for wire connections then test for continuity at the light fixtures between the black and red wires of hte same cable instead of above and follow the above directions other than that.
Once we know if these light fixtures are controlled simultainously or if these light fixtures are controlled by two switches controlling the same light or if we acturally have two switches controlling each light individually then we can get a lot closer to helping you.
If the above does not match what you have then come back in and tell us exactly how the switch systems are designed to be used to control these two lights and what color wires are connected to the switch in each box.
We will be waiting
Wg
Now with all wires disconnected turn power back on. With a voltage tester find a black and white wires in the same cable and find what cable has power entering that box. Connect the white of that power cable to the white of the light fixture and the white of the bent back switch leg to the black of the light fixture. Then connect the two black wires of the cables together with a wire nut.
Test the fixture.
If you have two switches controlling hte same two light fixtures simulatinously then the above won't work.
If you have a black and red wire connected to the switch and the switch only has two screws for wire connections then test for continuity at the light fixtures between the black and red wires of hte same cable instead of above and follow the above directions other than that.
Once we know if these light fixtures are controlled simultainously or if these light fixtures are controlled by two switches controlling the same light or if we acturally have two switches controlling each light individually then we can get a lot closer to helping you.
If the above does not match what you have then come back in and tell us exactly how the switch systems are designed to be used to control these two lights and what color wires are connected to the switch in each box.
We will be waiting
Wg