View Full Version : Electrical help
eglarsen07
Jan 6, 2010, 06:09 PM
I am installing under-cabinet lighting in my home and am having issues. My husband and I built our house almost 5 years ago and had the builders install under-cabinet lighting rufins/junction boxes (whatever they are called, the metal box that encloses the wiring... and there are 4 of them). So my job was to install the receptacle (outlet) and the light. I have one outlet and light fully installed and the other 3 outlets I can not get working (can not get power to). I have tried installing multiple different outlets in each other boxes with no success. All of the outlets (the one that is working and the rest that are not) are all the same. I've tried all switches in my home, reset the CGI outlets, made sure nothing was tripped, and still nothing has worked. I even installed a dimmer switch for the under-cabinet lights successfully. (I am in way experienced with electrical stuff but I am trying to establish that I'm not a dim-wit about it either.)
So, do you think I am doing something wrong, am I using the wrong outlets/equipment or do you think that the other 3 boxes are not wired properly? Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated!
eglarsen07
Jan 6, 2010, 06:17 PM
And by CGI I meant GFI.
johnmprince
Jan 6, 2010, 06:40 PM
How many wires are in each box? The box which is working should have at least 2 black and 2 white wires for the next box to work. How many boxes only have 1 white and 1 black wire? Is the work concealed or is there some way of seeing it? If you tug on a wire in one box can you see movement in another box?
daddysmurf
Jan 6, 2010, 06:46 PM
How many conductors do you have in each of the boxes and are they black and white ?
eglarsen07
Jan 6, 2010, 07:23 PM
In 3 of the 4 boxes, there are 2 sets of wires - each with 1 black, white, and copper (ground). In 1 of the 4 boxes, there is only 1 set of wires. In the box I was able to successfully install, there are 2 sets of wires - one of the sets is hooked up to the receptacle (outlet) and the other has the caps back on it. When I tried pulling on one set of wires, I saw no movement in the other boxes. All work, with the exception of what is in the box, is concealed. I should also note (not sure if this matters) that 2 boxes are one wall, and 2 boxes are on another wall - the walls are parallel to each other.
Thanks in advance for your help! Liz
hkstroud
Jan 6, 2010, 09:53 PM
The power comes to the first box, apparently the one which you installed the outlet, then goes to the second, third and finally the forth box. The wires must be connected together as well as being connected to the outlet.
This can be done in either of two ways. You can either connect the wires together with a wire nut and add a pig tail which will be used to connect to the outlet. Or you can connect both black wires and both white wires to the outlet. Note that there is a metal tab on the outlet that connects the two screws.. When you put a wire under each screw you have electrically connected the two wires.
johnmprince
Jan 7, 2010, 05:22 AM
HK's analysis sounds right. At each box with four conductors, tie the whites together, the blacks together using a wire nut and add a nice long tail ( 8" or so ) to make it easy to attach the recpt and light. Add the recpt to the box with only two wires and make sure it works. This box is "the last stop". Now you know all the boxes have power and complete the work. On the tail, using a wire stripper, make a "window" on the wire. This is a stripped portion of wire in the middle of the wire, about one inch long. Wrap the window around the screw on the side of the recpt. Now you have a tail with which to attach the light. Make sure the boxes are grounded.