[zpafk6]

Hello!

Trying to add some extra light in my unfinished basement. Currently right by the door there is a dimmer switch, which controls one bulb in the center of the room. I'm wanting to add a 2nd light (standard light bulb) between that room, and the other section of the unfinished basement. I've read a bunch of stuff online but am getting conflicting answers. Would I wire the 2nd (new bulb) light straight from the switch, or from the existing light bulb? Just to test, I wired up a standard light socket from the dimmer switch with a few feet of spare 14g wire (black to bronze, white to silver). Once I turned the power back on, both the lights had a dim flicker, and wouldn't get brighter or turn off when I adjusted the dimmer switch. I must be missing something, because this cannot be that difficult of an install... Any help greatly appreciated!

Zack

 

[joed]

You can always connect a new light by tapping into the power of the existing light.
Whether you can run a new light from the switch depends on how it is wired. Sounds like in your case you can't do it from the switch or maybe you just did it wrong. For sure if you only have two wire and both of them are connected to the switch you can NOT do it.

 

[zpafk6]

You can always connect a new light by tapping into the power of the existing light.
Whether you can run a new light from the switch depends on how it is wired. Sounds like in your case you can't do it from the switch or maybe you just did it wrong. For sure if you only have two wire and both of them are connected to the switch you can NOT do it.

I got advice from the neighborhood retired master electrician. I just ran 14/2 wire from the terminals on the existing light to the new light (capped off the ground wire). Works fine now. I knew it couldn't have been that difficult. Thanks for the input though!

 

[joed]

The ground wires should not be capped off. They should all be connected together and to the box if metal.