Just changed light fixture. When I put the power back on the light worked but the switch on the wall will not shut the light off.

In the ceiling there was 3 wires. One black,one white and one red. The fixture that I put up has only black, white and ground. So I attached the black to black, white to white and the ground to the grounding post. The red I just capped off. Now the power is getting to the fixture and it works, but I can not shut the light off by the switch.

I looked at the wall switch and it has a red wire hooked up to the switch on the top and black wires hooked on the bottom of the light switch.

Why is the wall switch not working? Should I have attached the red wire in the ceiling to the black wires? Would that work?

Please help. I have changed lights before but always there has only been black and white wires to attach.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

Scott,

What you are looking at is a switch loop. And yes, the wiring is screwed up.

Connect the Red in the Ceiling to the Black wire from the power source. Connect the Black wire from the switch to the Black wire from the fixture. Connect the white wires together and connect all grounds.

Turn power back on and then flip the switch and duck. Actually you should have the light functioning properly.

Just to clarify,
I can attach the red in the ceiling with the black from the light and the black that comes from the ceiling? All 3 together?
There is only one black wire the ceiling.

What wires are coming from the fixture?

If you have 14/2 to the ceiling, (Black, White and bare ground) Black is load carrying, White is the Neutral return and bare is Ground.

The run to the switch is made with Black and Red, You should run Neutral through a switch. Switches are for hot wires only. So "Red" would attach to the ceiling Black. Black from the switch should connect to the Black from the fixture and ground to ground. The White wire from the fixture connects to the white from the ceiling.

Just for safety sake, are there two switches that should operate the light? If there are, then the above configuration will not work,

Try connecting the red at the ceiling to the black of the light and capping off the black.

I don't see how you could do a switch loop with only one cable at the light.

I have the same wiring. Did you hook up the red and the black to the black on your light switch and then hook up the white to the white on your light fixture?

Hi there. I am hooking up a chandelier and just had the same issue. Just wondering if you can tell me how you ended up hooking up the wires to get the switch to turn off the light? I'm told my red in the ceiling is for the switch, but my chandelier fixture only has black,white and ground. So, I'm trying to figure out wher I hook up the red to on the fixture. Do I attach it also to the black? Thx.

Greetings Sheap.

There are two places that I need you to look, please.

I need to know what wires were in the ceiling when you removed the old fixture.

Also, please remove the faceplate and pull the light switch out and let us know what wires are connected to the switch.

It is entirely possible that your switch loop is connected wrong.

If you can send some pictures along that would help us quite a bit.

..

Hi Don,
There never was an old fixture on the ceiling. This is the first since the junction box was installed. The wires on the ceiling are red, black, white and copper. I removed the faceplate to the light switch to try and get some info for you, and there was a lot going on! Here is my best take on it. There were 2 black wires going to switch. One was connected together with anither black under a wire nut. The other was connected together with a red under a wire nut. White looked to be completely capped off.

Hi Don, I ran into this same problem I was wondering if you solved it?

By Don I mean sheap•

Hi,

Just replacing a light future in my garage, question is, they have 2 white wires attached to the fixture and 1 red ( believe this is the from the wall switch }
Anyway the 2 blacks coming out from the ceiling are connected together, my new fixture has 1 white, 1 black, and a green ( the green I assume is neutral}
Anyway what wires connect to what as this isn't a simple black and white connect from ceiling to fixture, please and thank you so very much.



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Tony

The question was very clear and I could describe precisely the same situation at my home: Ceiling box has three wires (black, red and white) + ground. Light fixture has two wires (black and white) + ground wire. Normally, black wires are attached to white wires. I can handle that. But that leaves the red wire unconnected AND the wall switch does NOT turn the ceiling light on and off. So what is the proper connection?? I have gotten a bunch of answers on this very specific and common question; none of them have worked thus far.

I need to know the following, please.

What are the connections at the wall switch?

Where is the source for the power coming from, the ceiling outlet box or to the switch and then to the ceiling outlet box?

Also, where are you located?

What if I am connecting a light with the same configuration - only to a combo outlet/switch fixture?

From light is red, white, and black wires.

From breaker box is black and white wires

From the combo fixture are two black wires, two silver screws, and two brass screws

I would love to make it so the outlet works all of the time and the switch controls the light.

Jason re-posted on a separate thread.

Hi,
I have a similar problem as delsol911. I'm hanging a ceiling fan that has an light attachment. So, from the junction box (ceiling) there are 3 wires black, white and red. On the housing unit (fan assembly) there are 3 wires a black, blue and white. The ground wire (green) is attached to the mounting bracket I must attach first before anything else. So, I attached the black wire from junction box (ceiling) to black and blue wire from the housing on fan (as instructed) then the white from (ceiling) to the white housing on fan. I have no idea what the red is for so, I capped it off. My fan work but, the light doesn't. What is the red wire for? Please stay clear with terms I've used to explain how to correct the problem. Thx

Hi,
I have a similar problem as delsol911. I'm hanging a ceiling fan that has an light attachment. So, from the junction box (ceiling) there are 3 wires black, white and red. On the housing unit (fan assembly) there are 3 wires a black, blue and white. The ground wire (green) is attached to the mounting bracket I must attach first before anything else. So, I attached the black wire from junction box (ceiling) to black and blue wire from the housing on fan (as instructed) then the white from (ceiling) to the white housing on fan. I have no idea what the red is for so, I capped it off. My fan work but, the light doesn't. What is the red wire for? Please stay clear with terms i've used to explain how to correct the problem. Thx

The red wire would indicate another switch that would be connected to the light. Is there another switch? If yes, connect the red to blue. In not, cap red and recheck blue black fan wires to black hot. Also make sure light switch is on and bulbs are good. Voltage checker or VOM would be very helpful to you for checking current path.

AWESOME pictorial schematic. I FINALLY got my light working in the dining room; It is 3 going on 4 years since it last worked and this pictorial was EXACTLY what I needed to figure it out.

Hi,
I have connected white to white and black from the light fixture to the black and red to the other black. The switch is now working but when I turn the lights in the dinning room on it turns it the lights on top of the stove on as well. It has somehow connected to another room?! What can I do to make it all normal. Thanks for all the help.

Wanderlust18
Please re-post and tell us what you are trying to do.
I am guessing you are replacing a ceiling fixture. Describe the wires in the ceiling box. Describe like this "I have two 2-wire cables, black and white and one 3-wire cable, black white and red."

A wire is a single wire, a cable is two or more wires in an outer covering. We don't count the ground (bare or green). The ground is not a conductor. It is there for safety and is not part of the circuity.

Hi, my situation is similar to these, plus another one. I want to install a photo-cell to my outdoor light fixtures. The wires in the boxes and the wires on the fixtures are all the same; black and white. However, the photo cell also has a red wire in addition to the two white and black wires. How should I attach the photo cell to the fixtures? I did one with black to black and white to white, with the red wire just capped off... but I don't think the photo cell is working since my light remains on in daylight... so am wondering how to do it correctly so the lights go on only at dusk or during dark rainy days.

With another issue, I replaced a ceiling fan with a new one and thought I followed the instructions. However, the light on the fan works but when the fan chain is pulled to turn it on, all I get is a humming sound with no fan action. So, any ideas?

Thanks,
Reid

Hi, my situation is similar to these, plus another one
Please start a new post. There are to many threads on this one and I don't know what situation you are referring to. Describe the wiring in each electrical box. Post the make and model of the photo cell you have.

On the ceiling fan, check to see if there are any rubber or foam wedges inserted between the fan housing and the fan rotor for shipping purposes. In other words, will the fan blades turn freely if you push them by hand?

Okay, thanks. I will post a new thread then. Yes, the fan blades turn freely with no power...