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garage light with two hots and one neutral
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I was in the process of replacing a 23-year old fluorescent tubelight fixture in my garage with a similar (physical) size LED fixture. When I opened up the light, I found that from the ceiling box there were three wires (none of which was a ground wire) coming out. Picture shown below.
Two of these (left and middle) were combined with a wire from the fixture using a twist connector. And another one from the box (right) was connected to another wire from the fixture.
When I turned the mains back, I find that the wires on the two extremes were both hot wires and the one in the middle is a neutral. And, both these hot wires are both hot even when the switch (the one that operated the fluorescent lamp) is turned off.
About a foot away on the ceiling is the plug to my garage door opener. When I removed the light fixture, the garage door opener stopped working and in fact that plug does not have power.
I did a quick test -- connected the hot (right) and neutral (middle) to the new LED fixture and it works perfectly. The hot on the left was just capped. The garage door plug did not get power.
QUESTION -- should I connect it back the way it was (description above) and are these connections making sense? Why is a neutral and a live being connected here?
electrical light-fixture
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
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I was in the process of replacing a 23-year old fluorescent tubelight fixture in my garage with a similar (physical) size LED fixture. When I opened up the light, I found that from the ceiling box there were three wires (none of which was a ground wire) coming out. Picture shown below.
Two of these (left and middle) were combined with a wire from the fixture using a twist connector. And another one from the box (right) was connected to another wire from the fixture.
When I turned the mains back, I find that the wires on the two extremes were both hot wires and the one in the middle is a neutral. And, both these hot wires are both hot even when the switch (the one that operated the fluorescent lamp) is turned off.
About a foot away on the ceiling is the plug to my garage door opener. When I removed the light fixture, the garage door opener stopped working and in fact that plug does not have power.
I did a quick test -- connected the hot (right) and neutral (middle) to the new LED fixture and it works perfectly. The hot on the left was just capped. The garage door plug did not get power.
QUESTION -- should I connect it back the way it was (description above) and are these connections making sense? Why is a neutral and a live being connected here?
electrical light-fixture
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
New contributor
ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I was in the process of replacing a 23-year old fluorescent tubelight fixture in my garage with a similar (physical) size LED fixture. When I opened up the light, I found that from the ceiling box there were three wires (none of which was a ground wire) coming out. Picture shown below.
Two of these (left and middle) were combined with a wire from the fixture using a twist connector. And another one from the box (right) was connected to another wire from the fixture.
When I turned the mains back, I find that the wires on the two extremes were both hot wires and the one in the middle is a neutral. And, both these hot wires are both hot even when the switch (the one that operated the fluorescent lamp) is turned off.
About a foot away on the ceiling is the plug to my garage door opener. When I removed the light fixture, the garage door opener stopped working and in fact that plug does not have power.
I did a quick test -- connected the hot (right) and neutral (middle) to the new LED fixture and it works perfectly. The hot on the left was just capped. The garage door plug did not get power.
QUESTION -- should I connect it back the way it was (description above) and are these connections making sense? Why is a neutral and a live being connected here?
electrical light-fixture
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
New contributor
ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I was in the process of replacing a 23-year old fluorescent tubelight fixture in my garage with a similar (physical) size LED fixture. When I opened up the light, I found that from the ceiling box there were three wires (none of which was a ground wire) coming out. Picture shown below.
Two of these (left and middle) were combined with a wire from the fixture using a twist connector. And another one from the box (right) was connected to another wire from the fixture.
When I turned the mains back, I find that the wires on the two extremes were both hot wires and the one in the middle is a neutral. And, both these hot wires are both hot even when the switch (the one that operated the fluorescent lamp) is turned off.
About a foot away on the ceiling is the plug to my garage door opener. When I removed the light fixture, the garage door opener stopped working and in fact that plug does not have power.
I did a quick test -- connected the hot (right) and neutral (middle) to the new LED fixture and it works perfectly. The hot on the left was just capped. The garage door plug did not get power.
QUESTION -- should I connect it back the way it was (description above) and are these connections making sense? Why is a neutral and a live being connected here?
electrical light-fixture
electrical light-fixture
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
New contributor
ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
New contributor
ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 8 hours ago
ironv
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
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New contributor
ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
ironvironv
1084 bronze badges
1084 bronze badges
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ironv is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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2 Answers
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Turn the power off. Connect the middle wire to the left wire with a wire from the fixture (white if there). Then connect the right wire to the fixture. Turn on the power and check for correct operation.
If there is a ground wire with your new fixture, connect it to the bare copper wires in the back of the junction box.
You're not connecting a neutral to a live wire... you're closing the loop from your garage door opener
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
add a comment |
It's not a live wire at all. It's a neutral. This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light. It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.
The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.
The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.
The neutral wires brought
- Neutral from supply
- Neutral onward to other points of use
- Neutral to the lamp
You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the onward points.
Electrical current flows in loops. Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.
You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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Turn the power off. Connect the middle wire to the left wire with a wire from the fixture (white if there). Then connect the right wire to the fixture. Turn on the power and check for correct operation.
If there is a ground wire with your new fixture, connect it to the bare copper wires in the back of the junction box.
You're not connecting a neutral to a live wire... you're closing the loop from your garage door opener
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
add a comment |
Turn the power off. Connect the middle wire to the left wire with a wire from the fixture (white if there). Then connect the right wire to the fixture. Turn on the power and check for correct operation.
If there is a ground wire with your new fixture, connect it to the bare copper wires in the back of the junction box.
You're not connecting a neutral to a live wire... you're closing the loop from your garage door opener
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
add a comment |
Turn the power off. Connect the middle wire to the left wire with a wire from the fixture (white if there). Then connect the right wire to the fixture. Turn on the power and check for correct operation.
If there is a ground wire with your new fixture, connect it to the bare copper wires in the back of the junction box.
You're not connecting a neutral to a live wire... you're closing the loop from your garage door opener
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
Turn the power off. Connect the middle wire to the left wire with a wire from the fixture (white if there). Then connect the right wire to the fixture. Turn on the power and check for correct operation.
If there is a ground wire with your new fixture, connect it to the bare copper wires in the back of the junction box.
You're not connecting a neutral to a live wire... you're closing the loop from your garage door opener
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
JACKJACK
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
3,2672 silver badges13 bronze badges
add a comment |
add a comment |
It's not a live wire at all. It's a neutral. This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light. It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.
The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.
The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.
The neutral wires brought
- Neutral from supply
- Neutral onward to other points of use
- Neutral to the lamp
You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the onward points.
Electrical current flows in loops. Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.
You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
add a comment |
It's not a live wire at all. It's a neutral. This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light. It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.
The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.
The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.
The neutral wires brought
- Neutral from supply
- Neutral onward to other points of use
- Neutral to the lamp
You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the onward points.
Electrical current flows in loops. Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.
You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
add a comment |
It's not a live wire at all. It's a neutral. This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light. It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.
The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.
The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.
The neutral wires brought
- Neutral from supply
- Neutral onward to other points of use
- Neutral to the lamp
You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the onward points.
Electrical current flows in loops. Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.
You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
It's not a live wire at all. It's a neutral. This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light. It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.
The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.
The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.
The neutral wires brought
- Neutral from supply
- Neutral onward to other points of use
- Neutral to the lamp
You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the onward points.
Electrical current flows in loops. Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.
You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
HarperHarper
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
94.9k7 gold badges71 silver badges195 bronze badges
add a comment |
add a comment |
ironv is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
ironv is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
ironv is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
ironv is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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