Fixing an Idiot mistake

jbert78 · 01-20-2013, 04:00 PM

I recently added two recessed lights in the kitchen and ran them for their own switch. I had to expand my wire box from double to triple, but my problem is hooking back up the other two switches. Before I started removing switches I should have labeled but I did not (which is my idiot mistake). I have one supply and two out going lines. One of the out going lines is the added line. I can not remember how to hook up the other two light switches that operate two existing lights. I have tried hooking them up but only can get one light to work and the other shows power to it, but does not work. I even replaced the bulb thinking it might have blown. Help please!

joed · 01-20-2013, 04:51 PM

you have not provided enough info. Tell us about all the cables and wires in the switch box. Don't care about the grounds. They all get hooked together.

danpik · 01-20-2013, 06:45 PM

got a picture?

dmxtothemax · 01-20-2013, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbert78

I recently added two recessed lights in the kitchen and ran them for their own switch. I had to expand my wire box from double to triple, but my problem is hooking back up the other two switches. Before I started removing switches I should have labeled but I did not (which is my idiot mistake). I have one supply and two out going lines. One of the out going lines is the added line. I can not remember how to hook up the other two light switches that operate two existing lights. I have tried hooking them up but only can get one light to work and the other shows power to it, but does not work. I even replaced the bulb thinking it might have blown. Help please!

Why was the existing box a double ?
Did it control one light or two ?
What did it control ?

Tell us more about the amount of wires ? and there colors ?

jbert78 · 01-20-2013, 10:05 PM

joed and danpik hope this helps for any help that you can give.

dmxtothemax - I don't know why it was a double. It was like that when we bought the house. Each switch controlled a separate light.

I know the Grounds are wire nutted together.

k_buz · 01-20-2013, 10:13 PM

Did the original two switch each control a separate fixture? If so, your drawing is not correct. You would either be missing a wire, or someone illegally used the uninsulated ground as a neutral and it cannot be put back that way.

If not, fixing this should be easy.

jbert78 · 01-21-2013, 12:01 AM

k_buz - The original two switches controlled separate fixtures! I'm not missing a wire and my drawing is correct to what I see in the box. I don't remember unhooking a uninsulated ground from any of the side terminals.

I thought they split the hot to go to the bottom of one terminal (A) and to the top of another (B). Then used the black out going on the top terminal (A) and the white outgoing on the bottom (B), which did not work.

I hope I'm just over looking something.

k_buz · 01-21-2013, 12:09 AM

Unless there is a different neutral at the fixtures (which is still illegal) they would have had to use the uninsulated ground as the neutral. Do you remember any bare wires connected to a white wire?

The other option, that I didn't think about at first, is that they hooked the bare ground up to the neutral at the fixture. If this is the case, its a very dangerous situation. You could have current running on any grounded metal connected to that circuit.

You are going to need to pull the existing fixtures down to determine how they are wired.

jbert78 · 01-21-2013, 12:16 AM

I don't believe any uninsulated grounds where connected to a neutral. It would not surprise me if this was an illegal setup cause I have found some very odd cob jobs through out this house.

Let me ask you this, is it illegal to use an orange electrical cord with its ends cut off to connect a light from a junction box?

fltdek · 01-21-2013, 12:17 AM

Sorry, we're having a very difficult time understanding your schematics. It cannot make logic sense. If your you have three wires coming into the 3 gang box, one of which is the hot (supply), one which you installed going to your recessed lights, and the last one was originally there? Is it at all possible when you replaced the 2 gang with the 3 gang, you forgot or left out a wire? Reason being, is that minus your wire you ran to the recessed, that only leaves you with two wires. One supply, and one delivery, two lights, on two separate switches, cannot be both wired from one wire, unless its 3 conductor like 14/3?

fltdek · 01-21-2013, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbert78

Let me ask you this, is it illegal to use an orange electrical cord with its ends cut off to connect a light from a junction box?

1. Why? You want to or someone already has?
2. A little more description would be helpful (what size cord, what type of light?

k_buz · 01-21-2013, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbert78

I don't believe any uninsulated grounds where connected to a neutral. It would not surprise me if this was an illegal setup cause I have found some very odd cob jobs through out this house.

Let me ask you this, is it illegal to use an orange electrical cord with its ends cut off to connect a light from a junction box?

Not even close.

k_buz · 01-21-2013, 12:26 AM

Do the new lights you just installed work properly?

jbert78 · 01-21-2013, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fltdek

1. Why? You want to or someone already has?
2. A little more description would be helpful (what size cord, what type of light?

If you are referring to the Orange Extension Cord that I mentioned then I found this when I was running my new line to the new lights.

jbert78 · 01-21-2013, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k_buz

Do the new lights you just installed work properly?

Yes my new lights that I installed work perfect. I can even get one of the two other lights to work, but am having trouble figuring out why this other light won't work. After getting one of them to work I used a Non-Contact Voltage Tester on the other and it shows that I'm getting power, but still nothing. Even tried changing the bulb!