I have 4 wires (red,black,bare,white) from the ceiling. From my new light fixture I have 3 wires (black,green,white). Which two switches for the light. I wired it black and red to black from fixture, white to white, and green to bare. And my light will not turn off. What did I do wrong? Power is good, checked with a fluke meter.
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Are there two switches that control the light, or one? If there are two switches, are they in the same location, or separate from each other?– Tester101Mar 5, 2015 at 2:02
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4 Answers
Both the black and red are likely ungrounded (hot) conductors. However, one or both of them are likely switched. That is, one or both of them are energized only when a switch is closed.
Test the wires with your meter, and determine which one is controlled by the switch. Once you figure that out, connect only that wire to the black wire on the fixture. Cap the other wire off, and tuck it safely away inside the box.
answered Mar 4, 2015 at 21:15
Yup, I figured it out 10 minutes later. Single red to black from fixture, capped the blacks. All good, thanks!!!
Red should be switched power and you would cap off the black coming from the ceiling.
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4Can you explain why you think red would be switched? I don't see anything in the question that would lead you to that conclusion.– Niall C. ♦Mar 4, 2015 at 22:35
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2As @NiallC. suggests, there is no rule or even convention that distinguishes between red/black hot lines. While many may favor black as live, since it is the default in x/2 wiring, it is far from a standard.– bibMar 4, 2015 at 23:29
It sounds like a "three way" switch. There are two switches, one lamp and 14-3 cable with 3 conductors and a ground. The switches are wired do both must be on or off for the light to work. This is hard to explain in words. Look up three way switch wiring for examples. And careful, the white wires are hot in this arrangement.
