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View Full Version : Wired ceiling light causes short


amoreno44
May 23, 2007, 08:38 AM
I recently bought a ceiling light from Home Depot and once I made all the connections, inserted light bulbs and then flipped the switch it caused the circuit breaker to trip. I don't know if I have somehow wired improperly but I did as the instructions told me (two whites from light to white from ceiling, two blacks from light to black from ceiling and red from ceiling to ground screw and ground from light to red). Does it sound like I've done anything wrong or could it be the wiring was done improperly when the house was built?

Thanks.

tkrussell
May 23, 2007, 12:47 PM
Try disconnecting the red wires, cap them with tape or wirenuts, and try the switch again, let us know if the breaker still trips.

Stratmando
May 23, 2007, 03:49 PM
Green or Bare is Ground ONLY.
Like Tk says Cap Reds, or connect the 2 reds.
Light(Black wire)will either go to black or one of the reds.
Someone may have used reds for Ground(Dangerous) Check nearby recpticles to see if red goes to ground. Identify with green tape.

amoreno44
May 24, 2007, 07:46 AM
Wow! That was really stupid of me. The bare ground wire was painted white from the builders painting the ceiling so I didn't notice it. I forgot that the receptacle is connected to two switches, one for the light and one for the fan. Thanks for your help.