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View Full Version : Hooking up a new light in the bedroom


bas77
Dec 29, 2008, 07:21 PM
I just got a new light for the bedroom and I tried hooking it up but when I did, every time I would turn the switch on it would blow a fuze, the light box in the celeing has 2 black wires, 2 white wires and a red one, the light has 1 black, 1 white and a ground, any ideas how to hook it up without blowing the fuze

andrewc24301
Dec 29, 2008, 07:37 PM
First, how do you currently have the light fixture wired? In other words, we need to know the configuration that's blowing the fuse.

21boat
Dec 29, 2008, 07:38 PM
The red wire usually part of a three way switch a traveler wire. Do you have another witch that operates this light from another location. I guess you oops on what the old light had on. The popping the fuse usually grounding the hot or grounding the neutral with the hot. Do you have a volt meter or a light tester? How is it wired now/

andrewc24301
Dec 29, 2008, 07:47 PM
The third red wire is confusing me, as all of the three ways in my house use just a two conductor loop circuit from the fixture, then at the switch itself, uses a three conductor wire to the other three way.

I'm almost thinking he may have the same set up that I have in my living room, where the light is in the ceiling, the hot and neutral come in, and then a three conductor wire is used to feed the front porch light. In this circuit, the white wire to the switch box is still the neutural. Black and Red form the loop switch circuit. Inside the switch box is where the split is made to go to the porch light.

I'm guessing he has all the wires unhooked now and has forgotten how they go back together.

In this case I'd advise opening the light switch(es) and seeing how they are wired.

21boat
Dec 29, 2008, 08:49 PM
I was thrown by the red too was wondering if a little creative wiring was done here and maybe the red was used as a jumper hot and yes its normally between the 3 ways to switch leg on switch This one is interesting