This question is unrelated to the BMW I have in Georgia...but I need help anyway.

I handyman/contractor guy that I know came over this weekend to install a wall switch for my closet light. I bought a new fixture, pre-wired conduit and a switch.

For some reason, when I turn the power on, the light is on while the switch is in the down (off) position and as soon as I flip the switch to the up (on) position, it kicks the breaker. We tried reversing the wiring at both the fixture and the switch. Same result.

Clearly the circuit must be complete for the light to be on, but why is the switch reversed? I just don't get it.

Any help?

:help :help :help

I handyman/contractor guy that I know came over this weekend to install a wall switch for my closet light.



Getting ready to get out the closet? :rofl

:rofl at Adeel

Sounds like one side of the circuit is wired to interupt the "hot" side only, while the other side of the circuit is wired to interupt the hot and common.

Sounds like the handman you "hired" is trying to catch your closet on fire so you can't go back in.



:rofl



;)


J/K

Sounds like the handman you "hired" is trying to catch your closet on fire so you can't go back in.



:rofl



;)


J/K


Look here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=544910

Not completely sure i have a decent mental picture based on the description, but here's my guess anyway. :stickoutt

you have 3 wires coming into the switch box from the breaker panel. hot, neutral, and ground. neutral/ground are essentially the same thing.

for the light to be on with the switch off, power must still be making its way to the light... NOT through the switch though.

so you have the hot from the box connected directly to the light somehow. The light is thus on from the neutral being tied to other neutrals. (usually the hot is switched and the neutrals and grounds are just tied together.) your switch is probably shunting the hot to neutral/ground, thus tripping the breaker.

The problem is probably in the switch location and not on the light side. (as the job of the switch is to make power NOT go to the light when in the off position.)

a wiring description with colors and their connections would be helpful. that or a picture... perhaps a labeled pic...

a wiring description with colors and their connections would be helpful. that or a picture... perhaps a labeled pic...

I am actually drawing one right now to describe it to a co-worker....I will try to post it later. I wonder if the two wires from the switch are just reversed where they are connected to the fixture/box wires.

How anybody can muck up black-to-black, white-to-white, and bare ground-to-bare ground just boggles my mind. :eyecrazy

:help

Black = Hot/+

White = Negative

Bare Wire = Ground

How anybody can muck up black-to-black, white-to-white, and bare ground-to-bare ground just boggles my mind. :eyecrazy

:help

Black = Hot/+

White = Negative

Bare Wire = Ground
sometimes it gets complicated. not all older houses have ground wires... so you end up with two wires from the breaker... and then THREE wires on your new/fresh romex... :eek:

:stickoutt

sometimes it gets complicated. not all older houses have ground wires... so you end up with two wires from the breaker... and then THREE wires on your new/fresh romex...
True, but that's when you call an actual, qualified electrician, rather than a catch-all "handyman." :stickoutt

;)



:cool

sometimes it gets complicated. not all older houses have ground wires... so you end up with two wires from the breaker... and then THREE wires on your new/fresh romex... :eek:

:stickoutt

That's my place.... 1950's wiring!

True, but that's when you call an actual, qualified electrician, rather than a catch-all "handyman." :stickoutt

;)



:cool

It seemed like an easy enough job... :(

Look here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=544910


:rofl

Not completely sure i have a decent mental picture based on the description, but here's my guess anyway. :stickoutt

you have 3 wires coming into the switch box from the breaker panel. hot, neutral, and ground. neutral/ground are essentially the same thing.

for the light to be on with the switch off, power must still be making its way to the light... NOT through the switch though.

so you have the hot from the box connected directly to the light somehow. The light is thus on from the neutral being tied to other neutrals. (usually the hot is switched and the neutrals and grounds are just tied together.) your switch is probably shunting the hot to neutral/ground, thus tripping the breaker.

The problem is probably in the switch location and not on the light side. (as the job of the switch is to make power NOT go to the light when in the off position.)

So the hot should run from the breaker/box to the switch...and then from the switch to the fixture? Right now he has the three hots (box, switch and fixture) tied together and the three neutrals tied together.

That's my place.... 1950's wiring!
Oh, then you're screwed. :help

It seemed like an easy enough job...
We'll look for you on TV, saying that to the cameras while your place burns to ashes in the background. :eyecrazy


Remeber the expression that a person who represents himself in court has a fool for a client? :ponder

Call a qualified professional, counselor. And until you do, leave that breaker in the "off" position. :nono


:cool

So the hot should run from the breaker/box to the switch...and then from the switch to the fixture? Right now he has the three hots (box, switch and fixture) tied together and the three neutrals tied together.
:confused

3 hots? if the hot goes to the fixture directly, AND to the switch, whats on the other side of the switch?
the switch should "switch" the hot. hot in from the box to the switch, then out from the switch to the fixture. Neutrals all tied together, but the switch doesn't have a neutral. just hot in, hot out, and a ground just cause. I've seen neutral run to ground posts on non-grounded homes before, though usually its left floating like the rest of the *ground* in the house... just grounds through the air :lol

All you have to do... is connect neutral and ground to corresponding neutral and ground with wire nuts, and connect the hot from the power source to one side of the switch, and the hot send to the light to the other. BAM!

Or it could be wired after the light, and the switch send wires are returned to the fixture to complete the circuit thus only needing two of the wires in the switch send to make the return.

If anyone wants an MS Paint drawing I will do it.

#Not liable for your safety, do this at your own risk. Turn all associated circuit breakers off before attempting repairs. Ground everything.#

Thanks guys. I think you have set me straight. Now who wants to come over and fix it for me?

:laugh

Thanks guys. I think you have set me straight. Now who wants to come over and fix it for me?
http://mrsparky.com/

http://mrsparky.com/

Great jingle! Now I'll be singing it all afternoon. Thanks a lot!! :mad


;)

Now that you know what to do, when are you coming out the closet?

Any bare copper or green wires should be connected together. Don't let any of the bare wires touch the terminals on the switch when you push it back in the box.

Any bare copper or green wires should be connected together. Don't let any of the bare wires touch the terminals on the switch when you push it back in the box.

Awesome diagram! Hopefully I will make it look that way tomorrow night!

Awesome diagram! Hopefully I will make it look that way tomorrow night!
[ Makes mental note to record the news tonight. ] :ponder


:firedevil



:D

edit - for clarity:

BLACK is connected in/out of the switch - WHITE simply passes through the box with no connections.

So you should have two black wires connected to the switch, white wires not connected to the switch (but wire nutted to each other), and depending on your house wiring, you may have a green or bare ground wire which should be connected both to the switch (the green screw) and to some other wires in the box.

Actually I believe the WHITE wire is connected in/out of the switch - the BLACK should be a straight pass-thru the box without any connections to the switch.

Uh oh....if we can't this part figured out, I may die tonight.

:(

see my edit above.

here's a diagram, but I can't post it so add the www to the front, and gif to the end

***.cornerhardware.com/howto/images/ht080_2.***

http://www.cornerhardware.com/howto/images/ht080_2.gif

Uh oh....if we can't this part figured out, I may die tonight.
[ Programs multiple recording devices for several channels of local news. ] :ponder


:devillook



:cool

http://www.cornerhardware.com/howto/images/ht080_2.gif

Okay...good...we are all on the same sheet of music. I may live through the night. Sorry, Wha.

Don't forget to turn off the breaker for that circuit before messing with the wires. You should test to be sure you turned off the correct breaker by touching your tongue to the wires while holding on to some plumbing with one hand or a foot. If you feel a tingle or smell smoke then you turned off the wrong breaker.

Don't forget to turn off the breaker for that circuit before messing with the wires. You should test to be sure you turned off the correct breaker by touching your tongue to the wires while holding on to some plumbing with one hand or a foot. If you feel a tingle or smell smoke then you turned off the wrong breaker.

:rofl

You forgot to tell him to also stand in a puddle of water barefoot while doing this. It's also a good idea to stand in some water barefoot while working so as to insure a good ground. :D

:rofl :rofl :rofl

I may live through the night. Sorry, Wha.
Ah, I knew you'd figure it out eventually. After all, you're a...



"MACHO, MACHO, MAAAAAAAN!!!"

Ah, I knew you'd figure it out eventually. After all, you're a...



"MACHO, MACHO, MAAAAAAAN!!!"


Back to the Bill is ghey topic. :eek:

Damn I do love how all of our threads always comeback full circle! :lol

Back to the Bill is ghey topic.
What?? Where in that post did I say he was ghey?? :conf













































:devillook







:rofl

And M3Bill said, "Let there be light!"



....and there was light.


Thanks to all for their assistance and moral support through these troubling times.

:wave

And M3Bill said, "Let there be light!"



....and there was light.


Thanks to all for their assistance and moral support through these troubling times.

:wave
ready to come out?

ready to come out?
He's not coming out. R Kelly will be along to sing a song about it any minute.

"Well, I was just standin' here... M3Bill locked himself in the closet..." :pityfool



:cool

He's not coming out. R Kelly will be along to sing a song about it any minute.

"Well, I was just standin' here... M3Bill locked himself in the closet..." :pityfool



:cool


:rofl :rofl :rofl