Question about wiring new light fixture

Hi there,

I used to install HVAC equipment, so I've done some electrical work over the years, but I'm running up against something I'm not sure about.

I have a bedroom with no light fixture in the ceiling, so I wanted to run a new fixture. I pulled the switch, and there is a red wire that I wasn't expecting to see. There are 2 black wires on the top terminal, and one red wire on in bottom terminal. The 2 whites are wirenutted together inside the box, as are the grounds.

So I looked at the receptacle this switch powers, and it has 2 whites tied to the top and bottom terminals on the side labeled White, and a red on the bottom Hot terminal. Then 2 blacks are wirenutted together in the box.

It appears to me that another switch must be daisychained to this one, and that's where the 2nd black in this receptacle is heading. It also looks like, in regards to my switch, I'm going to want to connect the white wire to the other 2 whites, and the black wore will go on the bottom terminal (with the red wire that is there currently).

Here is a pic:



http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps8zjzbxgg.jpg

Does that all sound correct?

Thanks!
Mike

 

My interpretation would be power comes in at the switch. Unswitched power travels via the black of the 3-conductor cable to the first receptacle. Switched power travels by the red of the 3-conductor cable to the first receptacle.

At the first receptacle switched power (red) is connected to the receptacle and un switched power (black) passes through to the rest of the receptacles.

Assuming you no longer want a switched receptacle here is one way to wire it.

• Run a 2-conductor cable from the light to the switch.
• Disconnect the wires from the switch.
• At the switch cap the red with a wire nut.
• At the switch connect power in black and black to receptacle to a pigtail.
• At the switch connect pigtail to one side of the switch.
• Connect black to the light to the other side of the switch.
• Connect all whites together.

At the receptacle.

• Disconnect the red and cap with a wire nut.
• One black to each brass screw.
• One white wire to each silver screw.

Connect all grounds per code.

Note your switch picture shows a code violation. You can not have two wires under one screw. The two blacks in your picture connected under one screw in the new configuration are the ones pigtailed to the switch.

 

That makes perfect sense, thank you so much for the response. I'm going to give that a try.

 

Looking at your picture, it appears you have aluminum wiring. The switch you have may not be rated for aluminum wires. Please be sure to check your devices and make sure they are marked CU/AL.

 

If aluminum then you can't use a wire nut to connect the new neutral to the existing neutrals or for pigtailing. You would need to use AlumniConn connectors.

See: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...luminum.html#b