Any Electrical Handymen In The Mall ?

Kramer · #1 02-19-2008, 07:01 PM

Any Bob Villas in the House?

Changing a light fixture here.

Old one has 2 bulbs ,
one white wire one black wire.

New one has 2 bulbs , two white wires two black wires.

The ground in ceiling wire the screw is in so tight ,
can’t get it out with a power drill

So question # 1 Can I just screw in ground wire
separately anywhere into
ceiling box by it self , or does it have to touch
existing ground wire

The builders Light did not even have a ground wire which is why I ask ...

( Only a 5 year old house)

Question 2 :
Why they make these new fixtures with 2 white wires , 2 black
as opposed to just one/one ?

Now gotta wire the black to black , white to white
keep the peace ,

into ones to wire to single ceilings ...

Pain ...

smitch124 · #2 02-19-2008, 07:24 PM

I'm pretty sure that your new fixture has wires for an in and an out as if it were part of a string of fixtures. If it had one pair and was working before its either a stand alone or the end of a string...the builder knowing this would use a fixture with one set of wires.

captaincapper · #3 02-19-2008, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kramer

So question # 1 Can I just screw in ground wire
separately anywhere into
ceiling box by it self , or does it have to touch
existing ground wire

Just screw the ground wire anywhere onto the ceiling box.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kramer

Question 2 :
Why they make these new fixtures with 2 white wires , 2 black
as opposed to just one/one ?

I suppose so that if one of the ballasts were to go out you could replace the blown ballast as opposed to having to replace the whole fixture.

pwherr · #4 02-19-2008, 07:39 PM

Ok just tie the blacks together and the whites together and hook them up to the same color coming out of the box.That new of a house prob has plastic boxes so hooking it (the ground)to the box does no good.Just tie it to the ground (bare} wire.Should fix you up.

pwherr · #5 02-19-2008, 07:45 PM

Ballasts are only used on floresent lights and there are more than black and white.

Gobbler's Knob · #6 02-19-2008, 07:48 PM

...............and they never heard from Kramer again

smitch124 · #7 02-19-2008, 07:51 PM

I'm watching him right now getting sentenced for 1 year for criminal indifference.

Snowman · #8 02-19-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwherr

Ballasts are only used on floresent lights and there are more than black and white.

there are usually at least 4 wires coming out of ballasts...usually blue,black,red, white I believe

The Judge · #9 02-19-2008, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitch124

I'm pretty sure that your new fixture has wires for an in and an out as if it were part of a string of fixtures. If it had one pair and was working before its either a stand alone or the end of a string...the builder knowing this would use a fixture with one set of wires.

Exactly.

Kramer, you can rely on Smitch's advice.

captaincapper · #10 02-20-2008, 08:12 AM

Kramer ignore what i said in the previous post listen to Smitch. I'm an idiot

Big Pimpin · #11 02-20-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitch124

I'm pretty sure that your new fixture has wires for an in and an out as if it were part of a string of fixtures. If it had one pair and was working before its either a stand alone or the end of a string...the builder knowing this would use a fixture with one set of wires.

The first part of this is true usually.....still depends on the set up but that irrelevent to his case

one set of wires on a fixture means it usuallly has only one bulb so the second part of your statement means absolutely nothing really.

Kramer...tie the blacks and whites together on the fixture and hook to the black and white in your ceiling light box. If you can't hook to existing ground in the ceiling box just wrap it around the screw that will hold the fixture mount up. There is usually a metal back strap that sometimes you can't see so don't really worry about that.

Ballasts are for flourescent,metal halide,sodium etc...type fixtures and can have anywhere from 4 to 20+ wires a variety of colors