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View Full Version : Installing a brand new ceiling light


prichardson
Jun 30, 2008, 08:51 AM
I just moved into a condo and the living room didn't have a ceiling light. It did however, have a box pre set up with all the wires running through it.

My ceiling light has two light bulbs, has two black wires, two white wires and a non-covered copper cable.

In the ceiling box, there are 4 black wires grouped together, 4 white wires grouped together, 1 green wire, and 1 red wire. All the wires are covered in the colored coating.

How do I install the wiring because when I hook the black to black, white to white and the bare copper to the green, the light won't switch off - it's just constantly on.

Thanks in advance.

ebaines
Jun 30, 2008, 08:59 AM
Given that the 4 blacks are all wired together it's pretty clear that these are not switched, but are simply run through your ceiling box for convenience. I suggest checking the red wire - if you have a voltmeter check to see whether power to it is controlled by the wall switch. If so, then you want to hook this red to the two black leads in your fixture, white to white, and the bare copper lead from the fixture to ground (which ought to be the green wire).