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Removed Bathroom Vanity Light to Prep for Job - Now Circuit Seems to be Broken

Removed Bathroom Vanity Light to Prep for Job - Now Circuit Seems to be Broken


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Old 11-04-16, 07:41 AM
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Removed Bathroom Vanity Light to Prep for Job - Now Circuit Seems to be Broken

To prepare for some bathroom work being done next week, I pulled out our vanity light but now when I try to turn the circuit back on at the circuit breaker box, the power to the circuit won't come back on. Attached photo shows there are four white wires and four black. I am assuming some of these need to be connected together to get the power to the breaker back on, but how do I know which ones? See photo.
 
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Old 11-04-16, 07:52 AM
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Rookie mistake. Only two wires needed to be disconnected. The wires on the light.The others should never have been disconnected. Do you have a multimeter (or neon test light or solenoid voltage tester)? No, a non contact tester won't work. If so tell us which cable into the box is hot by measuring between the black and white of each cable.

If no testing equipment turn the breaker off and connect the light to one cable. Turn the breaker on. If it lights up mark that cable. If not repeat previous procedure with each cable till you find the hot cable.

When testing be sure to turn the breaker off when you connect or disconnect the light .
 
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Old 11-04-16, 08:17 AM
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Thank you for responding. I think I was unclear. I took down the old fixture in order do some painting/prep work etc for an electrician who is coming next week to install the new fixture and add an electrical outlet. I am not installing the new light today, but am simply trying to restore power to the circuit because I now no longer have power in the room next door to the bathroom! I am assuming I need to connect some of these wires together (with the breaker off) in order to restore power. I don't have any kind of voltage tester so will be trial and error, with the breaker off! Do I connect white with white and black with black or vice versa?
 
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Old 11-04-16, 09:05 AM
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Use the method I outlined using a light as a test. Once you know which cable is hot be sure the switch is off.* The try connecting the power cable to each of the other cables one at a time. Two should make other parts of the circuit hot. The third is the switch and those two wires should be capped separately with wire nuts.

*Switch must be off or you when testing you may create a dead short.

Above assumes you have a black and a white wire on the switch. If not STOP and post back for different instructions.
 
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Old 11-04-16, 11:39 AM
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but am simply trying to restore power to the circuit because I now no longer have power in the room next door to the bathroom!
By current code the bathroom can not feed any other room except another bathroom and if the other room is another bathroom it can't feed the lights in the bathrooms.

A bathroom requires a 20 amp circuit that can not feed any other room but another bath so now would be the time to bring it up to code. I'd suggest extension cords till the electrician can run a code compliant circuit to the bathroom. The lights can stay on the circuit but all receptacles should be put on a new code compliant receptacle circuit for the bathroom.
an electrician who is coming next week to install the new fixture and add an electrical outlet
I see no ground wires. An ungrounded circuit can't by code be extended because all new wiring must meet code which requires a ground.
 
 

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