Need help with a vanity light...


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Old 12-09-12, 03:37 PM
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Need help with a vanity light...

Hello everyone. I need a little help with a vanity light. I have installed them before, but this one seems a little weird.

It is the light that was in place when we moved into our house. A while ago, one of the bulbs exploded and fried the socket. I couldn't find another fixture that would fit in the odd little space that it has on the wall, so we got it repaired instead. The fixture has two normal (but uncolored) wires coming out the back under the face plate, and one braided steel cable. When I took the fixture off the wall to have it fixed, the steel cable was attached to the ground wire coming out of the wall with a wire nut, just like the + and - wires. That seemed wierd to me, so I was hoping if one of you can tell me if that was correct before I re-install this thing. Seems like the ground shouldn't be attached to a steel cable... but I don't see anywhere else to attach it. Any advice?

Thanks everyone.

photos attached below:
 
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Old 12-09-12, 03:58 PM
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There are no plus and minus wires because it is AC. There is a neutral and hot. On the light the wire with a rib on the insulation will be the neutral. On the house wiring white is always neutral.

You can verify by running a continuity check between the wire you believe to be neutral on the light and the screw case of the bulb socket.

Seems like the ground shouldn't be attached to a steel cable.
Why not? Even assuming it is steel not tinned copper, steel is a good conductor of electricity.
 
 

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