I need a wiring diagram to hook up two lites to a switch....

<< Back to: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)

Answer by Lightning 49
Submitted on 10/27/2004
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First Thing: Turn the Power Off before you start! You didn't indicate whether this is a residential or a commercial installation. Assuming a residential installation, the power entering the light fixture will probably be a Romex cable containing one "Hot" Black Wire, one White (called the Neutral) wire, and one bare Ground Wire. If another romex cable leaves the light fixture and goes to the switch, connect all the bare wires together and to another "pigtailed" bare wire. The "pigtailed" bare then connects to a metal grounding screw in the box or fixture. Connect the Black "Hot" wire from the power source to the White (in this case it will not be a Neutral) going to the switch. (See note at end explaining why black connects to white) At the switch, terminate this White wire to the top terminal on the light switch. The Black wire going to the switch connects to the bottom terminal on the light switch. This Black becomes your "Switch Leg" back up to the light fixture. Connect this Black Switch Leg to the black wire (or brass colored terminal) of your light fixture, and to a black wire going to the other light fixture. Connect the White "Neutral" from the Power Source to the white wire (or light colored terminal) of your light fixture, and to a white wire going to the other light fixture. The bare "Ground" wire connects at the switch to a grounding screw on the box (if a metal box)and to the switch, which should have a green colored screw for this purpose. Also carry the bare "ground" to the other light fixture. At the other light fixture, connect your bare to a metal grounding screw in the junction box and/or light fixture as you did at the first fixture. Connect the black and white wires to the black wire (or dark terminal) and white wire (or light colored terminal)as you did at the first light fixture. Note that on some light fixtures, the wire may be "red" instead of "black". Connect accordingly. Check all connections carefully, making sure nothing will "short out" and that all connections are tight before you turn the power on. Note: The reason you connect the Black "Hot" wire from the power source to the White wire going to the switch, is so the the Black switch leg coming back up from the switch connects to the light fixture "hot" and the White "Neutral" from the power source connects to the light fixture "Neutral". This gives you one black and one white to the fixture, less confusing than 2 whites to the fixture if you do it the other way. A residential installation usually uses romex cable, and this is the colors you have available in the romex cable. If this is a commercial installation in conduit, you pull the colors you want in the conduit so that you can pull two black wires to the switch, one "hot" from the source and one "switchleg" back to the light.

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<< Back to: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)

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Question by ken
Submitted on 3/5/2004
Related FAQ: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
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I need a wiring diagram to hook up two lites to a switch. the power source enters the lite fixtures before completing the circuit to the switch.

Answer by Guy
Submitted on 4/19/2004
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Simply take a two conductor cable, hook one wire to the power source hot wire (black?), and the other wire to the light unit hot. Connect the common wire to the light fixture and connect you switch across the two conductor mentioned above.

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