Adding a light

cosumrz

I'm adding a new wall light to my bathroom, and would like to either run it off existing switch to main light - or add a new switch next to old one. The old switch has just the one 12/2 with power. (I'd like to avoid daisy chaining the lights together - as access is poor). Thanks for any help. :confused:

pipeguy

So now that we know what you want to do and what you want to avoid...what's the question?

cosumrz

- i forgot that part!
how do I wire off of the existing switch? Or can they be run off of the single switch - if so, how? Thanks!

pipeguy

If you currently have a single pole switch (a switch with (2) terminals plus a ground terminal) in the gang box you should have a black conductor from the existing light (load) on one switch terminal and a 'hot' black conductor (line) on the other switch terminal. The white conductors (neutral) should be spliced together in the box. Assuming this is what you have, simply splice the new light's black conductor to the load side of the switch (NOT the line side) and splice the new white conductor to the other two white conductors. Also splice all bare ground wires together.
Some older homes are not wired in accordance with current codes and may contain wiring schemes unlike that I described. If the existing wiring scheme is different from what I described then you'll need a different wiring schematic for the new light.

cosumrz

I've got a single pole switch - with the hot (black) on the bottom and the white neutral into the top of the switch, and the ground...... that's it. Thanks..

pipeguy

You don't actually have a neutral wire at the switch. The neutral wire is up at the light. The hot wire comes through the light fixture box before it goes to the switch and back to power the light.
That being said, you'll either need to
a. runl 14-2 from the new fixture directly to the existing fixture or
b. run 14-2 from the existing fixture to the switch box and from the switch box to the new fixture.

cosumrz

Pipeguy....If I went with your 'B' - how would the switch wire up? I've tried it a couple ways - with no luck as of yet.... thanks for any suggestions!

pipeguy

b. run 14-2 from the existing fixture to the switch box and from the switch box to the new fixture.

The switch wiring doesn't change.
At the existing light fixture: splice the new white conductor to the existing neutral wire (it's white, it hooks to the light and it does NOT go to the switch) and splice the new black conductor to the existing wire that comes from the switch (from what you said earlier it'll be white but it might be marked black or red).
At the switch box: splice the two new white conductors together and splice the two new black conductors together.
At the new fixture: connect the new black and white conductors accordingly. Don't forget your ground wires. I think this is the same as the 'daisy chain' circuit you referred to earlier.

cosumrz

Thanks - Looks like I'll be heading for the attic!