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    Lararussell's Avatar
    Lararussell Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jan 21, 2012, 07:07 PM
    New light fixture works but I can't turn it off by the wall switch
    I have a ceiling box with two whites, two blacks and two reds. I have a light fixture with 2 wires. I attached one from the fixture to the two whites from the box then the other wire from the fixture to the two blacks from the box. The light works but I cannot turn it off? Should I be connecting the reds to something?
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
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    #2

    Jan 21, 2012, 08:35 PM
    I suspect you also have two switches making this a 3 way set up. The reds sound like travelers to me and I never trust the colors of a 3 way since many home owners do not understand how to do a 3 way. You can call an electrician or I can try to bring you up to speed on how to do a 3 way, you pick.
    Brsmith135's Avatar
    Brsmith135 Posts: 16, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Jan 21, 2012, 10:15 PM
    Doubtful that you have 3 way switches in the bathroom. Remove the cover to the switch. There will be a white and a black in the box. They have used one romex from the light as a switch leg. Need to determine what black wire is hot. The white with it is your neutral. The other two wires are your switch legs. The neutral wire will go to the white on the light the black to the black in the box and the white in box to the black on the fixture
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
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    #4

    Jan 22, 2012, 05:34 AM
    I wouldn't dismiss a 3 way, I have them in a bathroom. However, I would also consider a switch loop
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #5

    Jan 22, 2012, 07:08 AM
    Who said this was in a bathroom?

    I agree with Bob, this sounds like a light fixture on a set of three way switches. It could be something else but it sound like it is a fixture on a set of three way switches with the travelers passing through the fixture box.

    Does the switch have off and on designated on the toggle (3-way switches do not)?

    Were any of the any wires connected together with wire nuts before you started or were they all separate?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
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    #6

    Jan 23, 2012, 03:20 PM
    Bathroom? DUH did I say that?
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
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    #7

    Jan 23, 2012, 03:25 PM
    No ma you did not say that, Brsmith said it and you might have assumed he was correct. Until we hear more I am sticking with a 3 way for now. BTW Lara, you coming back sometime soon? Also, many homes have what are called Jack and Jill bathrooms with a bedroon on each end, they would have a 3 way
    Robertssix's Avatar
    Robertssix Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Sep 10, 2013, 06:43 PM
    New light fixture will not turn off. In the bathroom. Lights have dimmer switch. Replace one of three light fixtures and now they will not turn off. From the wall; One white wire, one black wire, one bare copper (thick) wire. From the fixture, one white, one black, one ground. The light stays on if I hook up white/white- black/black or white/black - whilte/black... all of the lights in the room stay on constantly. Any ideas?
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #9

    Sep 10, 2013, 07:18 PM
    Replace one of three light fixtures and now they will not turn off.
    What else did you do?
    Robertssix's Avatar
    Robertssix Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #10

    Sep 10, 2013, 07:54 PM
    Nothing. Breaker blew when I turned the power back on. Could that have damaged the switch somehow?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
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    #11

    Sep 10, 2013, 08:05 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by Robertssix View Post
    Nothing. Breaker blew when I turned the power back on. Could that have damaged the switch somehow?
    Probably not. You have a switch loop if the wall switch has a black and white and the way you rewired threw the breaker. Find the hot black in the fixture box. Connect that to the wall switch white. Put black tape on the white wire. Connect the switch black to light black. Connect fixture feed white to light white. All light fixtures are connected black to black and white to white. Common error since wall switch should have been marked with black tape or magic marker.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #12

    Sep 10, 2013, 08:32 PM
    You did something other than replace one of three light fixtures. If you have only one black and one white wire from the wall, you would be replacing the last in the fixture in line. There is no way that you could change the functioning of the switch by just replacing a fixture, especially the last one in the line.
    Robertssix's Avatar
    Robertssix Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #13

    Sep 12, 2013, 03:43 PM
    No sir. Nothing. Black to Black. White to white. Ground to ground. Breaker blew. Powered it back on... light switch will not turn off the lights. I'm baffled. Thanks anyway.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #14

    Sep 12, 2013, 06:07 PM
    Look in box for something wrong that could cause a short to ground. Wiring a fixture wrong, (black to white and white to black) would not cause breaker to trip. Look for burned marks. Maybe you had a expose hot (black) and it touched frame of fixture, if frame is metal. Remove fixture and do continuity check between frame and black wire and continuity check between white and frame of fixture.

    You said a dimmer switch. Maybe the short to ground did blow the dimmer. Replace dimmer with a simple toggle switch to see if it works.
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