# Light Is Always On



## emolatur (Nov 8, 2010)

No, that was definitely wrong - and the frame/case/body of your light fixture is now electrically live (and a shock hazard) whenever the switch is in the 'ON' position. If you get an assistant to climb up there and hold onto the light, you will see that HE lights up when you turn the switch on...

Take the light back down, unhook that "ground" catastrophe you've created, and hook the BLACK wire that goes to the fixture to the RED wire. Leave the whites all together.



Put differently: Connect all white wires together and tuck them back in the box. All of the black wires that are part of the ceiling (but NOT the one attached to the fixture), connect those all to each other and tuck them back up there also. Now connect the remaining fixture wire (black) to the red one sticking out of the ceiling.


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## Chevyman30571 (Feb 2, 2009)

take some pictures so we can see the setup


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

It is possible that this has a three-way switch, with one being a switch leg. That means that the white from one of the switches, is actually a Black. Or, it is just a Single pole circuit, which the Red is the black to the fixture, the blacks are tied, due to a outlet is fed from the JB that the light is on. I had to do one of my fixtures in my kitchen that way that is over my sink. It feeds off of the switch with 14/3 from the switch on the wall to the light in the middle of the kitchen (small kitchen), so that 14/2 can feed the light over the sink, with a Switch leg on the wall. Same way will be done for the light over the Breakfast bar. Saves wire.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

emolator has the proper solution. Hook the fixture black to the red wire instead of the black group. The ground goes tot he other bare wires or the green wire or the metal box.


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## AlexK (Nov 20, 2010)

Thank you all for the prompt answers. Much appreciated!

I tried emulator's solution, as I understood it:
That is 
--1. ALL the white wires (from fixture AND from ceiling) are connected together
--2. The black wires are connected in two separate groups; one group, with the wires from the fixture, is also connected to the red wire from the ceiling; the second group of black wires (from the ceiling) is connected only with itself. 

However, in this case the light does not go on at all, no matter what I do with the switch.

I can check again to see if I really did the wiring as above, but beyond that I do not know what to do.

Thank you for your patience,
Alex K.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Go look at the switch that turns on and off this light, and post what colors are hooked up to it. When doing something like this, you should always write down what wires hook up where, so that you do not run into the problem such as you are having.


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## emolatur (Nov 8, 2010)

Joy. You've got something unusual there then, and it's going to take more effort to figure out what. Go ahead and see if there's a red wire behind the switch...


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

I will suggest that you take a look at the switch connecton and see what hook up there if you have red conductor that useally for the light however if you have three way switch then the bet is off you have to dig in more deeper.

If the connetions is correct then the switch probly got fried or just broken before you do anything make sure you turn that circuit off before you dig in the switch box.

Merci.
Marc


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## emolatur (Nov 8, 2010)

I ignored the 3-way theory the first time and continue to resist it for one reason...

*ONE* 3-WAY SWITCH? Where's the OTHER one? Why is there only ONE three-conductor cable up there?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

emolatur said:


> I ignored the 3-way theory the first time and continue to resist it for one reason...
> 
> *ONE* 3-WAY SWITCH? Where's the OTHER one? Why is there only ONE three-conductor cable up there?


Feeding another light or outlet.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Why are there two groups of black wires? You are making this too complicated. Ignore all the info about 3 ways. It is not relevant to your situation.
Connect all the whites together.
Connect all the blacks except the fixture black together.
Connect the fixture black to the red wire.


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