I wired up 5 tracks of lighting individually. Nothing happened. I was hoping someone would be able to look my wiring diagram over and see if I messed something up. In addition, the light switch I bough has two brass screws. Normally, incoming hot goes on the brass screw and outgoing hot goes on the silver screw. So, if it has two brass screws what's the game plan?

Wiring Diagram
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww181/voidgere/elec_diag.jpg

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Switches don't usually have a silver screw, outlets do. In a single pole switch there is no in or out. Harold has a great diagram.

Harold,

The diagram is a bit hard to read. It looks as if you are combining all the neutral, hots and grounds from the track with a wirenut each. Then legging off from the box in the middle down to the switch. This is what I did. I have a 6 inch leg that jumps off each track onto a home run that runs down the length of the track in the drop ceiling. I grounded off at the switch as well.

Can we explain how mine is different than yours or is mine too hard to read? Thanks for the clarification on the switch, ma0641.

At circuit panel connect neutral and ground wires to neutral/ground buss. Connect black to circuit breaker.

At switch connect neutral wires together with wire nut. Connect ground together and add pigtail. Connect black wires to switch terminals. Connect the ground pigtail to switch ground screw.

At each light fixture box, connect all blacks together including black from fixture. Connect all whites together, including the white from fixture. Connect all grounds together including ground from fixture.

I drew the cable going to the center fixture because your drawing indicated that you had routed the cable that way. It would be simpler to go to the first fixture (less wires in the box), then go to fixture 2,3,4,5.


I have a 6 inch leg that jumps off each track onto a home run that runs down the length of the track in the drop ceiling.

I don't know what that means.

Your drawing shows the hot (black) and the neutral (white) connected to the circuit breaker. I don't know how you would do that but is is wrong. Neutral gets connected to the neutral/ground bus.

You show a white connected to the switch, I assume that that is just a typo.

The cable being used here is 12-2 with ground cable, not 12/3. The 12 is the gauge, the 2 is two conductors (not wires). The ground is not a conductor, therefore is not counted.

A home run is the cable between the first device (here that would be the switch) and the circuit panel. In other words the term simply means that a certain piece of cable goes to the panel (home).

I have a 6 inch leg that jumps off each track onto a home run that runs down the length of the track in the drop ceiling.

I don't know what that means.

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I tied each transformer to the wire run. I just screwed up the description using the wrong terminology. Apologies.
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Your drawing shows the hot (black) and the neutral (white) connected to the circuit breaker. I don't know how you would do that but is is wrong. Neutral gets connected to the neutral/ground bus.
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In the breaker box you have the breaker (hot) and then two rails, one for ground and one for neutral. White is on the neutral bus and ground is on the ground bus.
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You show a white connected to the switch, I assume that that is just a typo.
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Connection to the switch is another length of bundled wire. I used the black from that run for the hot coming from the breaker and the white from the black coming off the tracks. So, technically, it's a hot on a white wire (that I marked).
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The cable being used here is 12-2 with ground cable, not 12/3. The 12 is the gauge, the 2 is two conductors (not wires). The ground is not a conductor, therefore is not counted.
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The markings on the cable indicated 12/3 so I used that in my description.
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A home run is the cable between the first device (here that would be the switch) and the circuit panel. In other words the term simply means that a certain piece of cable goes to the panel (home).
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Just another case of bad terminology on my part. Sorry for that.
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Connection to the switch is another length of bundled wire. I used the black from that run for the hot coming from the breaker and the white from the black coming off the tracks. So, technically, it's a hot on a white wire (that I marked).
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The cable being used here is 12-2 with ground cable, not 12/3. The 12 is the gauge, the 2 is two conductors (not wires). The ground is not a conductor, therefore is not counted.
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The markings on the cable indicated 12/3 so I used that in my description.

Now I'm totally confused. Can you post pictures? Is this low voltage lighting?

Not picking on you about terminology, just trying to get communications straight.

Im going back on site today. Will take and post pictures. They open at noon. It is low-voltage lighting. I'm sorry I forgot to add that detail.

Did you wire them correctly also are they on the same circuit. You shoud make sure you have enough to power to carry all of them also did you make sure power feed is going to the switch to fire them yp sw leg going to all lights which should be tied together and you have to have power and a sw leg for the lights to work also if they are going to the one switch they have to be jointed together are you qualified to be doing this. Wire your whites together your grounds and blacks make sure your power is kept separate so you will know which is power and which is the switch leg those two blacks go on the screws on the switch

I will not lie. Qualification are four years electricity/electronic vo-tech in high school and 2 summers worth of elec. Helper for my instructor. I have no professional experience.

All of my neutrals and ground are tied together. The blacks from the lighting are tied together and sent to one pole of the switch, with the other pole of the switch attached to the black coming off the breaker. That should be a complete circuit.

Power concerns. 20A breaker flowing over 12ga wire. I cannot recall off the top my head the draw on the transformers.

did you wire them correctly also are they on the same circuit. you shoud make sure you have enought to power to carry all of them also did you make sure power feed is going to the switch to fire them yp sw leg going to all lights which should be tied together and you have to have power and a sw leg for the lights to work also if they are going to the one switch they have to be jointed together are you qualified to be doing this. wire your whites together your grounds and blacks make sure your power is kept separate so you will know which is power and which is the switch leg those two blacks go on the screws on the switch
Also I always start with the first lite looping onto the next one it may be a problem because you started in the middle start over. And wire from the first one to the second match color to color at each lite till you get to the last track. You only put ground and neutrals (white) on the bus bar in the panel the black should be on the breaker I don't know what size your lighting is but make sur you have enough power to carry the load.

Voidgere, I think you need to step back and look at the diagram that was submitted bt Harold before commenting on your "corrections ". It is correct in every detail. At the breaker, the BLACK is on the bus, the ground and neutral on another bar. Not every box has separate ground and neutral bars. The white is NOT connected to the switch. It it tied to the connecting white. The main power feed went to a junction box and then split to the other lights. It could also be run straight through. Either way is code correct. If I recall, we offered you correcting info regarding silver screws on a switch. Preaching to the choir is not constructive.

ma0641,

I, in no way, meant any of my comments to be non-constructive. It was never my intent to offend or seem ungrateful for all of this assistance. I apologize if it came off that way.

With harold's breakdown of his diagram I was able to follow it better and it seems to me that I have the wiring correct, but I will be heading to the location to take pictures and double check the draw on the circuit to give you guys more to verify that information.

I just want to be clear that I am very appreciative for all of the help and very prompt responses.

Also I always start with the first lite looping onto the next one it may be a problem because you started in the middle start over. and wire from the first one to the second match color to color at each lite till you get to the last track. you only put ground and neutrals (white) on the bus bar in the panel the black should be on the breaker I dont know what size your lighting is but make sur you have enough power to carry the load.

The professionals that put the breaker box in placed all the ground on the bar on the left and all the neutrals on a bar on the right. I just followed the example as it seemed the right thing to do.

UPDATE

Circuit was good. I put a voltmeter on each transformer and they were all getting power. The problem was simple: I didn't slide the transformer onto the rail far enough. Once I re-positioned the transformers, the lights came on no problem.

I would like to thank everyone for their time and expertise. I learned a lot and you helped me finish the project. I am very grateful.

Life is good.