View Full Version : Install ceiling light without a place for ground wire
cadcad
Jan 11, 2010, 01:38 PM
I am trying to install new ceiling light in a 100 yr old house. There are two wires - one brown, one black (fabric covered). There is no place to attach the ground wire. The only thing visible is the two wires and the screw attachment for the light.
What do I do with the ground wire?
Xapafe
Jan 11, 2010, 03:19 PM
From my understanding there are 2 main points in this electrical system.
1 Hot wire.
1 Neutral Wire.
The ground can be attached to the neutral wire.
I wouldn't try this until further research but I'm quite sure I'm right. Because the neutral wire DOES lead to the ground.
ballengerb1
Jan 11, 2010, 05:31 PM
Xapafe, you are pretty new to AMHD so I will not consider giving a negative report on your answer but please stop saying "ground can be attached to the neutral wire" A neutral and a ground may come together at the buss bar inside the panel but not at a fixture. This is an old house which apparently has no grounding by cable or by groiunded box so the ground wire is not getting connected to anything. The poster can test between his black hot wire and the monuting screw and may find that the box is actually grounded, if so he attaches the ground wire to the box.
Xapafe
Jan 13, 2010, 11:43 AM
I stand corrected :)
Sorry for the bad advice...
I think I'm going to stick to computers for now on...
That's my area of specialty :)