# Adding additional light fixture to switched circuit



## woodardhsd (Jan 24, 2011)

I have an unfinished walk-in attic off an upstairs bonus room. There is currently one light fixture on the wall as soon as you walk in the attic. The space is decent sized so by the time you get to the other end of the space where the heat pump is, you can hardly see anything. I'd like to add another light fixture at the other end of the attic. The light is controlled by a switch directly below the fixture.

While investigating this, I noticed something interesting with the wiring and wasn't sure if this is how it is normally done. I took some pictures to illustrate since I have trouble explaining myself sometimes.

There is only one 15A circuit for the whole upstairs (lighting and receptacles) so at one of the receptacles, there are 2 14/2 cables coming out of the box. One runs to the doorbell transformer, the other to the switch for the light fixture.


















There are 2 14/2 cables coming out of the switch box. One runs to the receptacle, and one continues on, I'm assuming to more receptacles around the corner.









The line from the switch to the light fixture is terminated like this:









Here is a close-up of how the switch is wired:











2 questions: 

1: Is this standard/acceptable wiring? 

2: How do I hook up another fixture to the existing fixture so they are both turned on by the switch? I'm assuming (sorry) I run 14/2 from this box to the new box, but I'm not sure which wires to connect to which terminal. 

Thanks,

Mike


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

#1 Pretty common.
#2 Connect a new wire from the exsisting light fixture to the new light fixture, and match color for color.

In the exsisting fixture, pigtail the wires under a wire nut.

You may want to change out the exsisting box to make it code compliant.
That is a cut in box with screws inside.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

You would run a new 2 wire + ground cable from the existing fixture box to the new light location where you will install a new box and wire it as the old one is wired. After changing out the old round fixture box for a nail-on round fixture box you will splice the two white together with a short length of white and install a wire nut. The end of the pigtail will connect to the fixture screw. Repeat for the blacks and grounds.

Someone improperly installed a old work box and ran screws through the sides. This is why I told you to change the box.

Except for the cables being close to the face of the studs I don't see any issues.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 24, 2011)

Like this?










Sorry for the quick mspaint editing job.



jbfan said:


> You may want to change out the exsisting box to make it code compliant.
> That is a cut in box with screws inside.


I knew something didn't look right about that box.


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## jbfan (Jul 1, 2004)

Just like that.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 24, 2011)

Awesome, thanks for the help!

If I decide I would like to move the existing fixture to the ceiling. Can I put a junction box where the existing fixture is and wire-nut the existing wires to a new piece of wire that runs to the relocated fixture? Or does that need to be one continuous piece of cable from the switch to the fixture?


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