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Posted by Cliff Hartle on May 11, 2008, 10:20 am
After I went to bed I think I figured it out.
The power is coming from another box maybe an outlet.
Here is the "path" of the power.
In the power box the black power is connected to the black from the light.
The white from the light is connected to the white from the switch.
The black from the switch is connected to the white in the power box.
In other words as people have said the neutral is being switched.
The reason why he got voltage from the white at the switch was because he
was completing the circuit. I guess the internal resistance in the
multimeter kept the light from glowing brightly.
Easy enough to fix if you now where the power comes from.
>
>> Let me get this straight.
>>
>> In the box for the switch there is a black and white wire and in the
>> light's box there is also only a black and a white.
>>
>> In my post I assumed that the cable in the switch box was also in the
>> light box and should match the diagram.
>>
>> If this is the case then there has to be another box somewhere between
>> the switch and the light.
>>
>> Also I believe that digital multimeters can give weird readings or you
>> have some majorly screwed up wiring like things wired in series instead
>> of parallel.
>>
>> Good Luck
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> >>>> I'm sure you guys will crack it instantly.
>>>
>>> >>>> I'm replacing a light and the switch that controlled it. I removed
>>> >>>> the
>>> >>>> switch first. The switch connected a black and a white wire that
>>> >>>> came
>>> >>>> in the same sheath. The white one was hot. (I know that sometimes
>>> >>>> this
>>> >>>> means something, but what?)
>>>
>>> >>>> Then when I removed the light I discovered that it, too, had a
>>> >>>> black
>>> >>>> and a white wire connected to it, and the black one is hot. Now
>>> >>>> that
>>> >>>> the light is disconnected, the black whire is still hot, but the
>>> >>>> wire
>>> >>>> that used to be connected to the switch is now dead.
>>>
>>> >>>> There are no other wires in either electrical box.
>>>
>>> >>>> I'm racking by brain, but can't figure out how everything was
>>> >>>> connected.
>>>
>>> >>>> Many thanks in advance!
>>>
>>> >>>> Aaron
>>>
>>> >>> I'm thinking that there is another junction box somewhere where
>>> >>> these
>>> >>> wires could be connected. Is there another light fixture in the same
>>> >>> room? Is there an accessible attic above so you can go see if there
>>> >>> is
>>> >>> a
>>> >>> junction box up there? Did an electrical box get buried during a
>>> >>> remodel?
>>>
>>> >>I agree, the op either missed the second cable and splice in one of
>>> >>the
>>> >>junction boxes or there is obviously a third box, and they mistakenly
>>> >>broke
>>> >>the neutral through the switch>
>>>
>>> > Sounds like to me he is just trying to get a voltage reading across
>>> > the switch.
>>>
>>> > If he took a switch out he would only have 2 wires to put back. You
>>> > can't really mess it up.
>>>
>>> > When he took the light down, there is only 2 wires to put back too.
>>>
>>> > Seems like he is mistaken of the meter readings.
>>>
>>> I think he's just trying to figure how it works, not so much, how to put
>>> it
>>> back. As you said, he really can't go wrong. I belive he's thinking that
>>> with the switch wires disconnected, he shouldn't still have a hot wire
>>> at
>>> the light, which is correct, except for when the neutral was switched
>>> instead of the hot
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> - Hide quoted text -
>>>
>>> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>>>
>>> - Show quoted text -
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> To clarify matters - yes, I'm just trying to figure out how it works,
>> not how to put it back together. And I still don't get it.
>>
>> There are *only* to wires in each electrical box. I'm sure I did not
>> miss anything, because I have now removed the electrical boxes. Each
>> of the two wires came from a single romex.
>>
>> So Cliff's suggestion was mostly likely, but that is not it. So I am
>> still puzzled.
>>
>> One thing I am thinking is that I've been using a cheapo pen-like
>> voltage detector. Maybe my readings are wrong. I will go back and use
>> something a little bit more refined.
>
> In that case, what John Grabowski suggested, must be correct. There is a
> third junction box. If disconnecting the two switch conductors does not
> kill the hot in the lighting outlet box, then it was the neutral that was
> broken through the switch
>>
>>
>
>
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