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A little lighting help please ...

1593 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  SD515
I pulled a light out of a closet to replace it and now cant remember what wires go where when hooking it back up ...

Here is what I have ...

1. A lightswitch with a black and red wire attached to it ...
the black comes from a group of blacks and the red goes to where the light will be installed ...the white from this lines is grouped w other whites in the box ...

At the light location I have a 14/2 and 14/3 romex .. the 14/3 has is the switch leg w the red from the light switch. ..

My question is how do I hook the new light up? I am assuming the red wire from the switch is used, the whites all stay seperate and tie together, and the blacks are also run to the fixture?

Thanks for any info.
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You have what is called a "Switch leg" Power goes into the box that the light sits in, and switched from the light switch. White on the fixture goes to the black on the switch, Black goes to the Red on the switch. This is why you either write down on paper what goes where before unhooking, or leave connected, until you get the new fixture. Never unhook until you make notes of how it was hooked up.
thanks greg!

I took a picture of it then had to replce the iphone but I totally agree ..

I am using this to add 4" cans .. once I get the first one hooked up and working is it just a matter of adding another romex run to the second can and connecting the same wires?

Again, thanks,
Hang on though, he said the switch has black and red connected... What he has sounds more like this diagram

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I took a picture of it then had to replace the iphone
I highly advise anyone taking apart a switch or whatever to take a picture for reference. In your case, if it happens again, email the picture to yourself. :)

DM
... White on the fixture goes to the black on the switch, black goes to the red on the switch...
? ? ?
The 14/3 that runs from the light to the switch box…is that black tied to the other blacks in the switch box? And has a jumper wire to the switch? You already said the red was tied to the switch, and the white tied to the other whites.

If this is the case…

At the light box…

Black to black
White to white and to white of light
Red to black of light
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