Oct 14, 2012, 03:56 PM
cdwhiteWires are hot, but lights wont turn on!
Not sure what went wrong, I am doing a bathroom remodel and hooking up two lights to one switch. All wires are hot, but the lights wont turn on....any suggestions?
Oct 14, 2012, 04:55 PM
JaybeeI guess this depends on how much you know about electric.
Two lights operating off the same switch are hooked up exactly like just one light - the only difference is that the white wire, black(hot) wire and ground are jumped from one light to the other. At the switch end, you have a supply leg in with the white and ground continuing to the first light fixture. The black passes through the switch and then goes to the lights.
This is if your power goes to the switch first. An alternate feeds the power to one of the lights first with the black running down to the switch, another black running back up from the switch and connecting to the black on the light fixture.
Since you say that your wires are hot already, then that is your troubleshooting starting point. If you don't know how to proceed from there, then it's time to find someone with more electrical knowledge.
Oct 15, 2012, 12:57 PM
swschradif all wires are hot, and the house has not burned down yet, they are all powered from the same side of the power grid. a complete circuit needs hot on one side, and neutral on the other. only then can power flow.
you need to have one hot feeder to a lighting line, and that goes to the switch. from the other screw on the switch the hot goes to the black of all the lights. the white of all the lights connects together and goes to the white neutral of the power feeder cable. and all green or bare ground leads connect together for safety's sake. not just a good idea, it's the law... of physics.