Hello - I am replacing a fluorescent light fixture in a warehouse restroom. I removed the old light and only found 2 bare copper wires and 1 red wire coming out of the junction box. The 2 bare wires were tied into the neutral wire of the old light fixture and the red was tied to the hot wire (first picture). I do not see a neutral wire coming out of the box. Is it safe to connect the new light the same way I found this one and tie the 2 copper wires back to the neutral? It seems like that wouldn't be a good idea, but the old light was working (replacing only for cosmetics).

Note - The copper wires are dirty and appear to be black in one of the pictures.

Thanks in advance.

 

No not safe to use bare wires as a neutral. If you are sure there are no white (or gray) wires you will need to run new wires. Is this conduit?

 

What's the wire behind the red one? It looks yellow.

 

The yellow may be neutral. Is anything connected to it ?

 

The yellow wire runs in and out of the box, it was not used for this light but I'm not sure where it is running.

 

You're going to have to trace the circuit. Find where the wires come from and go to.
A bare wire for neutral in a conduit is absolutely wrong.

You need to locate the neutral so that it can be run to that box.
I shudder to think how the rest of the place is wired.

 

The bare being used as a neutral is creating a serious shock hazard.