# Black/White/Orange wire...what to do with orange



## Wingingit (Feb 22, 2009)

Painters removed old wall mounted outdoor light fixture. i am replacing with a new one. In the box, I have black, white, and orange wire. Inside the house I have a timer switch that was working perfectly before the removal of old fixture. I know the black and white wires are matched against the NEW fixture, Does the Orange wire wrap with the black???

I have a total of three of these boxes on outdoor wall separated about 25 feet apart. Suggestions? Thanks


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## dSilanskas (Mar 23, 2008)

Are you sure its not a black, white and a red? Take the switch.timer apart inside and see what you have going on there. You should have a bare copper wire for a ground if it is a newer wire.


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## adpanko (Jun 18, 2009)

When was your house built? Is there also a bare copper or green sheathed wire in there too? Do you know if your house has BX cable (the cable is sheathed in metal, instead of rubber or plastic) Do all of the wires in the box come in as part of the same cable?


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## kbsparky (Sep 11, 2008)

Does the new fixture have a motion sensor or photocell built-in?

Or is there a dual rating (120/277 Volts)?


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## Wingingit (Feb 22, 2009)

dSilanskas said:


> Are you sure its not a black, white and a red? Take the switch.timer apart inside and see what you have going on there. You should have a bare copper wire for a ground if it is a newer wire.


 Thanks, worked in out thru process of elimination. All is well, appreciate the response.


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## Wingingit (Feb 22, 2009)

kbsparky said:


> Does the new fixture have a motion sensor or photocell built-in?
> 
> Or is there a dual rating (120/277 Volts)?


 THANKS, worked in out thru process of elimination. No montion sensor, it was the timer on switch that was broken. Thanks, appreciate the response,


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## Wingingit (Feb 22, 2009)

adpanko said:


> When was your house built? Is there also a bare copper or green sheathed wire in there too? Do you know if your house has BX cable (the cable is sheathed in metal, instead of rubber or plastic) Do all of the wires in the box come in as part of the same cable?


 Thanks, worked it out thru process of elimination...appreciate the response.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

I would have bet it was a bypass wire. So you could turn on the light manually.


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## theatretch85 (May 17, 2008)

Just an FYI, there is some older NM cable that is white/black/orange/bare, I have some of it in my house for all the 3 wire circuits. One of the 14/3 cables I have that runs to a j-box where it splits out to the two separate circuits powering upstairs bedrooms and hallway lights has an insulated green ground wire. This is the only one that I have found in my house that has the insualted ground, all the others are bare.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

theatretch85 said:


> Just an FYI, there is some older NM cable that is white/black/orange/bare, I have some of it in my house for all the 3 wire circuits. One of the 14/3 cables I have that runs to a j-box where it splits out to the two separate circuits powering upstairs bedrooms and hallway lights has an insulated green ground wire. This is the only one that I have found in my house that has the insualted ground, all the others are bare.


It's very possible they used 3 conductor cable, even though they did not need it. I still think it was intended for a bypass. Now that installer was thinking ahead. It makes sense if you want to turn on the light when the light is not ready to come on itself. Both conductors need to be on the same circuit or "POW".


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