New answers tagged lighting
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There's not really a proper way to do #2. You can't just have a wire running out of the bottom of the sconce. I have seen outdoor lights that have a plug built into them, so something like that would be an option. Of course then you have an unsightly cord hanging down.
My recommendation would be to plug in a transformer where ever possible and run only ...
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Let's review how 3-ways work.
Note the 2 travelers: one is hot, and one is not. They must necessarily always be in the same cable, and be the same on both ends.
That uses up all the brass screws and leaving only 1 screw left per switch.
Once you get the travelers right, there are precious few wires left. Hooking up the remaining wires is fairly obvious.
...
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Try testing each switch to make sure you have assigned the correct wires to the correct screws. Disconnect all wires (mark them so you know which was connected where!) and then use a voltmeter in "ohms" mode as follows. Connect the probes to any 2 screws. If flipping the switch causes the resistance to go from zero to Infinite, then you have ...
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Note: this answer assumes North American wiring. You don't give a location but that photo looks like an American fixture to me.
There are two ways the existing fixture may be wired. The first way is by "switch loop":
Here, power enters at the fixture and a separate cable (switch loop) carries hot to the switch and switched hot back to the fixture. ...
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Never fear, Insteon's here!
Most smart-switches can only control something that has wires back to the switch point, and take up a full gang of space. However, the Insteon system, as the spiritual descendant of X10, is capable of using ceiling modules that talk to Insteon switches over powerline or wireless communications to remotely control loads. So, I'd ...
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New answer:
To control your heater, use a smart line voltage thermostat. Usually the heater has a separate circuit (or should).
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You could install a smart socket at the heater location rather than a smart switch at the switch location for the heater. Get rid of the wall switch for the heater and just use your app. Then you have a full two-gang box to control three lighting circuits. It should be easier to find things that fit and you don't need a relay. In the switch box, when you ...
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Yes, because one of the neutrals shares a cable with a hot that is going to the switch. (If all the neutrals went into cables unrelated to this switch, then no... that can happen in a switch loop.)
The cheapest wire to get is THHN individual wires, they sell solid or stranded. Solid is the safe bet - stranded is illegal on backstabs and very hard to ...
answered Sep 18 at 2:32
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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In this case you will need to do as you suspected. This is a smart switch and needs power for its smarts and therefore needs a complete circuit. A normal switch doesn't need power for itself, it just passes power through (on) or interrupts power (off) using just the black wire (normally).
Make sure you get the correct size wire. In your case it is most ...
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If it is indeed the paint that's causing the stand-off, it would suffice to remove the paint.
If the stand-off is between base and wall:
With a utility knife and fresh sharp blade cut into the wall at the outline of the switch base. This scores the wall paint and prevents uncontrolled chipping in the next step: then, position the blade at an angle and ...
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Since there are 3 switches involved, you have a ...
You know, I don't know what to call it in the UK. In the US we call it 4-way, but the UK has different names for these things. Regardless, the schematic looks like this:
Switch designations are USA naming. Diagram's 3-way is your 2-way.
As you can see, the operating principle of multi-way switching is ...
answered Sep 13 at 19:36
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2
I suggest running a 2x header between the joist and level with the junction box. Then hanging the fixture on the eyebolts that fastened on the 2x. It will be much sturdy.
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You could attach blocking to the joists on both sides of the existing electrical box and bracing, etc.
By attaching the blocking vertically, you will maximize the weight capacity, but by attaching horizontally you can provide a larger area to "hit" with the mounting hardware. Both orientations should support the weight adequately. Sections of 2x4 ...
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This is what I would do personally:
I would get a 2x8 or larger, cut it to fit the width, cut a notch to fit the box, the fasten that between the joists. Make sure you cut the width of that to fit as snugly as possible without having to excessively force it in, gentle tapping with your fist is ideal. Put 3 or so screws such as these DeckMate screws on each ...
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Update after seeing the fixture image:
There's no need to bolt the box to the support framing other than to secure it in position. Nothing hangs from the box (so it doesn't even need to be fan-rated). I would still run the 2x10 over the box, and I'd add blocking on each side of the box to bring it down flush with the adjacent joists. This will give you solid ...
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As you problably know, electricity flows in loops. It needs 2 wires/contacts/etc. to be effective.
You also may know most fluorescent tubes have 2 pins per end, or 4 total. That is more than is needed for LED.
There are 4 kinds:
Ballast-Bypass (direct wire), single ended - this is where both of the 120V contacts are on the same end of the tube. These ...
answered Sep 9 at 17:44
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7
There are at least 2 types of LED tubes: Those that work with a ballast and those that are direct connected. According to code, the interior of the fixture should have a sticker indicating it was a direct connect, if so. Also, I seriously doubt your LED tubes is using 115 watts...that's a lot for an LED...are you sure you don't mean volts? There's no way a ...
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This is safe as long as the black, red-black, and white-black wires between the switch boxes are all in a single conduit or cable. That is, the switched-hot and the two travelers must be physically adjacent outside a junction box.
Same is true for the neutral and hot from the panel to the old switch box, and for the neutral and switched-hot between the old ...
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The way this is usually done is the ground wire is attached to a grounding screw on the junction box. The mounting bracket is then grounded by screwing it into the junction box. Then the braided wire connects to the green screw on the bracket.
It looks like your bracket is mounted wrong. There should be two screws from the bracket into your junction box. The ...
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Connect the green wires to each other and to the fixture green
Since we already have hot and neutral accounted for, those green wires must be grounding wires, and thus need to be connected together; an ordinary wirenut or lever-lock ("Wago") connector will do the trick, depending on what's used in your area.
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The part your looking for is normally called a "globe". Even if it wasn't globe shaped, that's usually what the "cover" is called.
Since you're in an apartment, you are most likely not allowed to do any electrical work, such as swapping out the fixture (as suggested by DMoore), which is what would make your life much easier than trying to ...
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You are much much better off buying a new fixture or repurposing a working light fixture from a salvage material place.
A simple fixture like this can be had for $30 at big box or $10 or less at a salvage material place. You will not get a cover to fit on your lamp unless it is almost exact due to the nature of the clips it has. There is just no use ...
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You will have to do something to lengthen the ground wire, or replace it in its entirety.
Yes, you can simply wire nut the cut off piece to the existing piece. If you're happy with the look of the wire nut there, you're good to go. If not, you may be able to use a crimp connector which would be less visible. Something like this or this or these* .
* These ...
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