I just moved into a house where the seller took the kitchen light fixture. I am planning to install a new light fixture. I believe the outlet may be controlled by two different switches, and I'm not sure how to connect it.

The box in the ceiling has 3 wire screws. One covers a black wire, one covers a white wire, and one covers a green wire and a bare copper wire wrapped together.

The fixture has two lights, and there are three wires coming from each light. From each light there is a thin bare (uninsulated) wire and a double wire in one piece of insulation -not unlike speaker wires.

Can you tell me how to connect them?

The green and bare goes to bare of each light fixture.
Look closely at the lamp cord wire, 1 has an edge or fine ribs along the wire, this is neutral(white), and goes to white wire, the smooth wire of each light goes to black.
Do this with switch off.

Tell me more about the ceiling wire where the new light will be installed.

You said there is only one cable coming to the mounting box. Inside the cable's insulation, there are three conductors, correct?

If all of the above is true, then the kitchen light probably is connected to the power circuit through the switch(s).

What you have to be extremley careful of is connecting the wires. It absolutely essential that you have a method to test for power on the Black and White pair in the ceiling.

I suggest that you purchase a Multi Meter. You don't need anything fancy. You just need a simple analog (Needle) meter that allows you to clip the Black probe to the White (Neutral) wire and the Red probe to the Black (HOT) wire.

Set the meter to the first level over 120 VAC. Connect one probe at a time by removing the wire nut from the white wire first and then connecting the black probe to it. Next remove the wire nut from the black wire and attach the red probe to it. Try to only use on hand when clipping the probe to the wire.

If you see a deflection (movement) of the meter's needle from left to right, it means that there is power to the circuit. That means that you have to find the switch on the wall that actually turns the voltage off.

Once you know that there is no power to the wires in the ceiling, you can safely install the new fixture. The bare wire will connect to the bare wire in the ceiling.

I'm not clear about the other two pairs. Normally you would find two pairs of Black/White wires. In which case, since the wall switch is providing the power to the overhead, you would connect Blacks to Blacks and Whites to Whites. Black being the Hot and White being the Neutral or return path.

But you are describing something I haven't heard of before, which does not surprise me at all. You did describe it as two pairs of wires with no color difference. That doesn't make sense. You didn't happen to keep the instructions for the new lamp did you?

Donf, sounds like he has Lamp cord wire from fixtures(Like chandoliers).
The wire with the ribs are neutral, and the smooth wire of each pair goes to Hot.

Strat,

I'm not sure I'd fully agree with that statement yet.

I do agree with the Lamp cord within the fixture, however, his description of wire in the ceiling is what troubles me, espically if that wire is controlled by two switches.

I'm expecting that he will respond with a description of a recessed octagonal light junction box that the light fixture attaches to.

Since there is only one wire (NM-B) my guess, then power is sourced by the switch. There may also be a runner from S1 to a S2 so that the light can be controlled by two switches.

This is the connection type that Labman favors.

You don't agree ribed wire is neutral?
It could be 2, 3, 4 or more switches, it doesn't matter, there is a black, white, and ground at the box and is connecting to 2 fixture wires in one box, I don't want to complicate this, He needs 3 wirenuts, connect up and be done.

No, the ribbed wire is not my concern. My concern is the overhead wiring and making sure the circuit is dead prior to anyone sticking their hands inside.

I know what you said is true, I just don't want him using an alum. Ladder and grabbing a hot wire.

Sorry for the confusion. I thought I was clear about the path or paths from the switch(s) to the overhead.

Don

Don't have a dog in this fight but note what Ssaward said.


One covers a black wire, one covers a white wire, and one covers a green wire and a bare copper wire wrapped together.


He has a wire nut covering.

I suspect that he has a wire nut on the ground and a pig tail to the box.

Just connect the ground of the fixture to the bare/green combo the white to the ribbred and the other to the black.

Donf,
Hey thanks, In my first post, I mentioned "with switch off". That is all I would do, it could still be live with switch off. I wonder If I should Tell people to to:
1)Turn Off Main.
2)Call power company to Pull Meter or cut wiring free from building to ensure no voltage is present.
Personally I agree it is probably a 3 way, Black, white, and green is as easy as it gets.
I do try to explain things with as few words, as it may be easier to grasp, what I was trying to say was:
"The green and bare goes to bare of each light fixture.
Look closely at the lamp cord wire, 1 has an edge or fine ribs along the wire, this is neutral(white), and goes to white wire, the smooth wire of each light goes to black.
Do this with switch off."
It was safe, and correct?