Ask Me Help Desk - Light fixture

Light fixture

I have just installed a dimmable recesssed light fixture and put it on a dimmer, but the switch will not control the light, it just stays on. Wired as black to black and a red from the fixture to the white. A red and white wire has been capped off? What do I need to do?

I don't think your switch is wired right

Whites need to remain intact.
I would test without dimmer and have it work with a switch first, If you did that and when you hook the dimmer up and remains on, it is a bad dimmer.

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Wired as black to black and a red from the fixture to the white. A red and white wire has been capped off? What do I need to do?

Are you talking about the wiring at the switch or wiring at the light fixture?

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

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Are you talking about the wiring at the switch or wiring at the light fixture?

Black from power source and black from switched are twisted together with black from fixture. White from power source is twisted with white from the fixture. The switch has a black, red and then a red and white wire which is capped off. The black is to the black and the red is to the white.

Charlie

Sounds like your dimmer requires a neutral, If so, black likely goes to constant hot, the white to neutral, and the red would go the light.

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Originally Posted by closetpic

I have just installed a dimmable recesssed light fixture and put it on a dimmer, but the switch will not controll the light, it just stays on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by closetpic

Black from power source and black from switched are twisted together with black from fixture.

I think THIS is your answer, no?

If the constant hot and the switched hot are twisted together wouldn't that obviously keep it on all the time?

It maybe better if I take this matter from the top..
I have run a bx cable fron an existing outlet box. I have attached the black power wire to the black wire from the bx and did the same to the white wire. Then I attached the other end of the bx to the fixture black to black and white to white. With more bx cable for the switch (also connected black to black and white to white),Then for the switch I attached the black from the bx to the black coming from the dimmer. I then attached the red coming from the dimmer to the white from the bx. The dimmer has a black wire, a red wire, and a red&whit wire that is capped off.
Light stay on and switch will not allow off & on. What did I do wrong?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratmando

Sounds like your dimmer requires a neutral, If so, black likely goes to constant hot, the white to neutral, and the red would go the light.

The only red I have is coming from the dimmer and it is attached to the white cominfrom the bx. The dimmer does have a red&white wire that I habe capped off.. . Please help

Quote:

Originally Posted by closetpic

Black from power source and black from switched are twisted together with black from fixture. White from power source is twisted with white from the fixture. The switch has a black, red and then a red and white wire which is capped off. the black is to the black and the red is to the white.

Charlie

I have run bx from an existing outlet. The black from the power source is attached to the black from the bx and same for the white. I then attached the black from the bx from power source and the black from the bx for switch to black on the fixture. White from power source is attached with white form switch to white from the fixture. Lastly the switch has a black wire. A red wire and a red&white wire. I connected black wire from switch to the black from the bx and the red from the switch to the white from the bx. The red&white from the switch is capped off... Please help

Red/white and red&white can be taken a couple of ways.
Red/white, or red w/white is usually considered 1 wire.
Red & white is usually considered 2 wires.

What make and model of switch do you have?
Will a regular light switch work?

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I have run bx from an existing outlet. The black from the power source is attached to the black from the bx and same for the white.

The way I read that is you ran BX cable from an existing outlet to the ceiling box for the light. You connected the black of the outlet to the black of the BX cable. You attached the white of the outlet to the white of the BX.

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I then attached the black from the bx from power source and the black from the bx for switch to black on the fixture. White from power source is attached with white form switch to white from the fixture.

The way I read that is that in the ceiling box you attached the black of the BX cable from the outlet to the black of a BX cable to the switch and also to the black of the light fixture. You attached the white of the cable from the outlet to the white of the cable going to the switch and to the white of the flight fixture.

If I am reading correctly you have wired a complete circuit from the outlet to the light (and to the switch location). Therefore not mater what you do at the switch, the light will burn.

Appearently the dimmer switch you have purchased is a 3-way dimmer switch.

At the ceiling box.
Attach the white from the outlet to the white of the light fixture.
Attach the black from the outlet to the white going to the switch.
Attach the black from the switch to the black of the light fixture.

At the switch location,
Attach the white of the cable coming from the ceiling to the black of the switch.
Attach the black of the cable coming from the ceiling to the black of the switch.
Leave the red/white from the switch capped off with a wire nut.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkstroud

The way I read that is you ran BX cable from an existing outlet to the ceiling box for the light. You connected the black of the outlet to the black of the BX cable. You attached the white of the outlet to the white of the BX.

The way I read that is that in the ceiling box you attached the black of the BX cable from the outlet to the black of a BX cable to the switch and also to the black of the light fixture. You attached the white of the cable from the outlet to the white of the cable going to the switch and to the white of the flight fixture.

If I am reading correctly you have wired a complete circuit from the outlet to the light (and to the switch location). Therefore not mater what you do at the switch, the light will burn.

Appearently the dimmer switch you have purchased is a 3-way dimmer switch.

At the ceiling box.
Attach the white from the outlet to the white of the light fixture.
Attach the black from the outlet to the white going to the switch.
Attach the black from the switch to the black of the light fixture.

At the switch location,
Attach the white of the cable coming from the ceiling to the black of the switch.
Attach the black of the cable coming from the ceiling to the black of the switch.
Leave the red/white from the switch capped off with a wire nut.

I have wired it exactly as you have written above and now there is no light...
At the switch location, please confirm what you have written for steps 1 & 2?
The red/white wire is still capped off.
Thanks, Charlie 773 / 425-8024

Did it come with instructions, does it have a name, model # or anything? Or can you tell what the re/white wire does?
Is this Compact Fluorescent?

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Originally Posted by Stratmando

Did it come with instructions, does it have a name, model # or anything? or can you tell what the re/white wire does?
Is this Compact Flourescent?

Yes it came with instructions, but they read as if I'm replacing a fixture, I'm not it is a new fixture from a current outlet box. It is a Catalina Lighting fixture model# 244196. A 3"GU10 brushed steel downlight, and they have not responded in a week now. The instruction say nothing about red/white wire, but a sticker on the red/white wire says to leave the blue cap on for single pole installation. Please help... It looks like your previous directions were taking it from the top and I redid everything, but now no light ta all..

Quote:

Originally Posted by closetpic

I have wired it exactly as you have written above and now there is no light...
At the switch location, please confirm what you have written for steps 1 & 2?
The red/white wire is still capped off.
Thanks, Charlie 773 / 425-8024

At the switch location instructions, it seems like step 1 & 2 are to attach to the black from the swith, it that true?

Then we don't have to worry about the capped wire.
Remove Dimmer, and you need to try to make it work with a regular switch.
When you remove the switch, connect those 2 wires to the dimmer.
If the light stays on, or won't come on with the dimmer, the dimmer is bad.
I know the base of the GU 10, but thought most are compact fluorescent, Are you using a compact fluorescent bulb, and or is the dimmer for CFL?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratmando

Then we don't have to worry about the capped wire.
Remove Dimmer, and you need to try to make it work with a regular switch.
When you remove the switch, connect those 2 wires to the dimmer.
If the light stays on, or won't come on with the dimmer, the dimmer is bad.
I know the base of the GU 10, but thought most are compact flourescent, Are you using a compact flourescent bulb, and or is the dimmer for CFL?

You are the MAN... I cannot express the depth of my gratitude for you regarding such a frustrating problemthat is now SOLVED...

It worked with a regular switch and worked again with a another dimmer... You deserve major cudos.. THANKS THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN

Good Deal, great to get it behind you.
Thanks for hanging in there, and the reply.
Take Care