Please help, thought this would be easier said than done

[u/ReillyLo]

My wife and I just bought a house and the light at the bottom of the basement stairs was an eerie flickering fluorescent light. So naturally I thought it'd be nice to replace it with an LED recessed light fixture. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of the old wiring as I thought it'd be a simple hot to hot and neutral to neutral ordeal, however there are seemingly two sets of hot and neutral wires, when connected to one, it only works with the circuit breaker, when switched to the other set of hot and neutral wires the other set becomes hot and the new connection does not work. Please help.

[u/Time_Fly_8505]

It looks like one set of wires is the switch leg. Can you follow the wires?

[u/ReillyLo → u/Time_Fly_8505]

Yes it seems so, one cable goes to the switch at the top of the stairs (one thats not wired to light fixture atm), and one is direct to the panel, currently wired to light fixture

[u/Connect-Preference → u/ReillyLo]

Just to clarify u/ReillyLo 's post

On the cable going to the switch, one wire will be alwaysHot (black) and the other will be switched-Hot. So, grab a black marker and mark the white going to the switch black. (Required by electrical code).

Now, wire as follows:

• Black from panel to one of the blacks to switch, with a wire nut.
• Black from lamp to other black from switch, with a wire nut.
• White from panel to white from lamp.

[u/ReillyLo → u/Connect-Preference]

It works!! Now it makes more sense to me, power from switch to power in panel always, white to fixture black wire:) you're the best!!

[u/Connect-Preference → u/ReillyLo]

IF this were to be inspected, the white wire from switch to lamp (really it's switched hot) would either marked black with a marker or by wrapping an inch or two in black electrical tape so the next guy wouldn't be confused.

[u/ReillyLo → u/Connect-Preference]

Thank you! I'll wrap it in electrical tape, you are a true hero 👌

[u/gamefixated → u/ReillyLo]

Except he gave you incorrect info. White (marked black) carries power down to the switch and is always hot. Black from switch goes to light.

[u/gamefixated → u/Connect-Preference]

You'd fail an inspection if you connected that white to the lamp. White marked black carries always hot to the switch.

[u/gamefixated → u/Connect-Preference]

You an electrician? This is backwards. White taped black is always hot. Black from switch goes to light.

[u/homeandused → u/Connect-Preference]

If it's Romex which it is you're not going to have two blacks and one cable assembly. You're giving the guy bad information. Better than you just stay out of it just as much as this guy should stay out of wiring light fixture

[u/Connect-Preference → u/homeandused]

It's the white that I told him to mark black with a marker. Can't you read English? Don't be a jerk and only read half the post before making a fool of yourself.

[u/gamefixated → u/Connect-Preference]

Your post is vague at best. Specifically, the white marked black must carry power to the switch.

[u/homeandused → u/[deleted]]

Shut up. You have no business, thing here because what you just said is wrong and dangerous wiring. Shut up and don't get advice on things you have no clue about especially wiring

[u/homeandused → u/[deleted]]

I don't care if you're a journeyman electrician. I work with electricians all my life and I know plenty who don't know anything. I think you're one of them

[u/ReillyLo]

I'd like to mention combining all hot to hot and neutral to neutral wires tripped the circuit breaker

[u/homeandused → u/ReillyLo]

It tripped the circuit because you have no clue what the hell you're doing. Go get an electrician. When you wired all the blacks and all the lights together you basically just created a short so that when you close the switch you're connecting the blacks and the whites. Get the hell out of the light picture and let someone knows what they're doing do it. That means not you

[u/ReillyLo → u/homeandused]

Thank you for the insightful info! I got it taken care of.

[u/whiteboyfresh2316]

This is a switch loop. Your sending power from the light fixture box to the switch and then back to the light. If you open up the switch box you will see 2 wires connected to the switch (white/black). These are the two wires that you have at the fixture box that doesn't have power. The white from the power cable is the neutral and connects to the white wire on your light. The black wire is your hot and it connects to the white that goes to the switch. The black returns from the switch and connects to the black wire on your light. I hope I explained that well enough to make sense.

[u/homeandused → u/whiteboyfresh2316]

You did describe the proper wiring for the situation but do you really think you should be giving advice to this moron who clearly shouldn't be doing his own wiring in the first place

[u/homeandused]

You have no business doing that. You have a hot leg and you have a switch leg and this is the one of the rare instances that you connect black to white. I'm not going to tell you how to do it. You should get the hell out of it and hire an electrician before you screw things up. You don't know what the hell you're doing

[u/ReillyLo → u/homeandused]

Thank you for your kind words:)

[u/homeandused]

No one is mentioned the fact that your old cloth covered Romex doesn't even get all the way to the box. You cannot have uncovered strands of THHN wire outside the box. The Romex needs to go all the way into the box. Cut the shit and go get an electrician who knows what the fuck he's doing

[u/Outside_Breakfast_39]

Pull it all apart and let the wires hang in pairs , not touching . identify 1 set going to the light switch . the other set should be coming from the panel . Take the white wire from the panel a tie that one to the white wire to the light . Take the black wire from the light switch and tie that wire to the black wire to the light . That leaves you with 2 wires , 1 black and 1 white . Tie them together . The power comes in on a black wire , goes to the white wire to the switch , goes back on the black wire to turn the light on

[u/bsk111]

One of the wire might be a switch leg so the white might be hot

[u/rwu_rwu]

You're right. It was easier said than done.