wiring for a motion light


  #1  
Old 06-05-08, 11:13 AM
L
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
wiring for a motion light

I need to put a motion light on the outside of a garage. can i turn the electricity off and tie onto an existing outlet and put a light switch? If this is possible could you tell me how. if not how would be the best way to get electricity to the motion light. thank you
 
  #2  
Old 06-05-08, 12:18 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: welland ontario
Posts: 8,038
Received 515 Upvotes on 420 Posts
Sure you can depending on what that receptcle does. For example you can't tie into the kitchen counter or bathroom circuit.
Run a cable from receptacle to light switch then to the light fixture.

This is what you will be doing. The bottom image is the one that applies to you.

http://www.selfhelpandmore.com

 
  #3  
Old 06-05-08, 12:29 PM
L
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
i was going to use outdoor wire that has a ground. where would i attach the ground. thanks
 
  #4  
Old 06-05-08, 01:33 PM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
Unless you plan on running it underground, there would be no need to use UF cable, as it is not that easy to strip. Use regular NM-B cable. The grounding electrode (bare wire) is continuous from the breaker panel to the last module in the run. At your receptacle, you will need to remove the existing bare wire, make a pigtail of another piece, tie the three grounding electrodes together using a Bcap and reinstall it on the receptacle. Do the same at your switch and at your light fixture. A pigtail may not be needed at your fixture, since it is the end of the run.
Hey, Joed, good pix.
 
  #5  
Old 08-15-08, 02:52 PM
K
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 4
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Motion detector on Florescent fixture

My situation is that I purchased a motion sensor for an electric ballast Florescent light. The switch is supposed to work with any type of lighting (incandescent, electic ballast or magnetic ballast) but when I connect it it just flickers. There are three wires on the switch (red, black and white) there are three wires in the box (2 black (hot and load) and ground). I connected the black> hot, red to load but the white baffles me. I tried hooking the white and red to load and that is when I get the flicker. What do I do now?
 
  #6  
Old 08-15-08, 03:57 PM
C
Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 1,694
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
You need a neutral.

You either have one in the back of the box, which you can use, or you have the white remarked as a hot,which means you have to re-run some wiring to get a neutral.
 
  #7  
Old 08-16-08, 07:19 AM
K
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 4
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
This is on a circuit that controls the switch in the bathroom water closet and the walk in closet (where the motion sensor will be placed). The circuit naturally carries three wires, black, white and ground. So, if I understand you correctly, I will need to pig tail off of the white wire for a neutral connection?
 
  #8  
Old 08-16-08, 08:33 AM
pcboss's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 13,976
Received 194 Upvotes on 170 Posts
If this switch only has the 3 wires connected to it you have a switch loop. A switch loop consists of a hot feed for the switch on the white, a switched hot on the black and the ground. Unless there are other wires in the back of the box you cannot feed a light from this location as you do not have a neutral.

To avoid the confusion on the white wire being a hot the Code now requires it to be re-identified.

Do you really want the floods on the garage to come on when you walk into the closet? Seems a little unorthodox to me.
 
  #9  
Old 08-22-08, 12:48 PM
K
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 4
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
a new wrinkle

Here's a new wrinkle, thanks to all who answered I was able to get the lights to work as they should. However, now they will come on sporadically when no one is in the room. I checked to see if something could be triggering them but there is no motion whatsoever. I know there is an adjustment to delay them from going off but is there a way to adjust the sensitivity to keep them from coming on independantly?
 
 

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