I took down an old ceiling fan and am replacing it with a simple light.

The light has 2 blacks, 2 whites and a ground.

The ceiling has 5 wires: A black and a white coming from one side. PLUS, a black, a red, and a white from the other direction.

The wall switch has a red on the bottom and a black on the top.

The nearby hall is somehow connected to this light too.

I have tried a bunch of different combinations, but have yet to find the one that makes the switch turn on the light without affecting the light in the hall.

Any suggestions as to how to wire this?

Thanks,
Chris in Milwaukee

How was the old fan wired?

Did the ceiling fan also have a light kit? Was there only one switch to the old fan or was there a second switch across the room or in the hall? With all wires open test each on and se which are hot with the switch closed and also see if any are hot when that switch is open.

I am not sure how the old fan was wired. I wish I had made a note of it.

There is only 1 switch on the wall and that turned on the whole thing. Then, there were pull cords hanging down to turn off the fan or light individually.

I will be taking another look at it tonight.

Thanks for the help.

After I wrote this, I realized something else. It appears the electricity COMES into this bedroom ceiling from the bathroom and continues on to the hall.

Quote:

---

The wall switch has a red on the bottom and a black on the top.

---

Are there any other wires in the switch box?

HK, I bet he has other wires in the switchbox.
I would guess power goes into the Fan box with the white and black for power, whites all tied together, and the new light whites tie on to this.
Power goes down on the black wire and returns up the fan(light)as red, in the same cable,(will connect to the 2 blacks on the new fixture.
While that black is in the box, it continues to the hall, and maybe more, a white and ground will also come off that switchbox.
If I was to guess?
Good Luck

Just to add, the 2 blacks connect together, the lights 2 blacks to the red, and whites to white.

2 blacks together / light to the red / whites all-together = circuit blows

trying something else...

Yes - inside the switch there are 5 incoming wires - like at the light.

The whites are together. The blacks are twisted together and then routed to the top of the switch.

The red goes to the bottom of the switch

I also seem to recall that one of the whites was attached to another wire OTHER than the light when I started this whole mess

I made a mistake in my original post. One side of the ceiling has 2 blacks. The other has 2 whites and a red. Perhaps one of the whites is not REALLY a neutral.

Now I very confused but I think you are saying you have what Strat described.

Connect the two blacks in the ceiling box together. Connect the two whites together. Turn power on and check hall light. If circuit does not trip and hall light works, connect white of the light to the two whites in the ceiling box. Connect the black of the light to the red in the ceiling box.

I have removed the light.
I have capped the red.
The two whites together. The two blacks together.
RESULTS: Circuit trips.

My feeble conclusion: the colors are wrong.
I will try something else and report back.

There may have been some attempt at recoloring the lines years ago and I am reading them wrong. I was able to relink the circuit and attach the ones I think might be white to each other and the supposed blacks to each other. The completes the circuit so that the bathroom and hall work normally again.

However, that red does not turn the light on.

Perhaps I will work on it tomorrow again or swallow my pride and call an electrician.

This is an easy fix for an Electrician, he should NOT charge more than a Service Call.
Let us know what happens.
Be sure nothing is plugged into the hall outlet, in case it has a short in it.
Good Luck again.
There is no reason for the white to be anything other than a Neutral.
Check where the wires enter the box and inspect for missing or nicked insulation touching ground.

For Troubleshooting, I would separate the Blacks in the Fan box, then turn on the breaker, if it doesn't trip, turn circuit off, disconnect the blacks at the switchbox, reconnect the blacks in the fan box then turn back on, this should narrow down where the short is. May need to test with the red disconnected from the switch, in case it is shorted between the 2 boxes.

You guys were all right. Thanks for the help... It turned out there were two reasons I was having so many struggles:
1- that when I had opened the light switch,to look at one of the wires, one became loose and sometimes jiggled on and then off.
2- one of the wire twisters was not working - I think the metal spring dropped out or something...

Good deal, thanks for letting us know.