What is the red wire for?

[lucygirl]

Silly me, when I took down an old bathroom vanity fixture, I didn't make note of where the wires went. So, now I am left with 2 whites, 2 blacks, and one darn red one coming from the wall. (also the ground). The new light fixture has 2 black and 2 white, but of course no red. I assume that the red is for the light switch, because when I didn't use it, the lights came on but would not turn on and off at the switch.

So, how are they wired? Thank you for your help!!

[joed]

Connet the black from the light fixture to the red wire. It is most likely the switched wire.

[lucygirl]

Well, I was able to make the light work from the switch.

2 blacks from wall together...not to the fixture.
Red wire from wall to both blacks from the fixture.
Both whites from the wall to both whites from fixture, respectively.

However......now it has affected the current going up to the kitchen lights. The downstairs lights, on the same current are fine, but the kitchen lights have now lost their juice.

Help....I am a little frustrated.

[John Nelson]

Have you made any wiring changes outside this one box on the wall where the vanity light is?

The advice that Joe gave was excellent and would have worked most of the time. However, it was a guess based on common conventions. Common conventions are not universal, and an individual electrician is free to do it some other way as long as it's still code compliant.

So now we need you to shut off the breaker and describe all the wiring in the switch box (without disconnecting any of it).

[joed]

Did the Kitchen lights work when you had the red capped and the vanity not being switched? If they did then I would check the connections in wire nut with the blacks and the nut with the whites.

[lucygirl]

I did not make any changes to the wiring in the box. (actually it isn't a box..just a hole in the wall...I am sure some kind of issue!!)

The wiring coming from the wall is such:

2 blacks
2 whites
1 red
1 ground

I attached as I described above.

This circuit covers a family room, bathroom light, and 2 kitchen lights on the next floor. Family room and bathroom work...kitchen now does not.
Thank you so much for any help.

[lucygirl]

Joed
Would youl attach the two white coming from the wall to the two white from the fixture....all in one cap...and not separate them as I did?

[lucygirl]

I apologize....I just realized after looking at the old fixture, there was a pigtail used in the wiring. However, I don't know where the pigtail went. I think I am in over my head.

[peggysue]

I had the same problem you did, and when I followed the wonderful advice given here, it worked perfectly.

You can check out my question and the answers HERE (http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=167128)

Hope it helps!

[lucygirl]

It is almost perfect. The only differences are is I have two black wires and two white wires from both the wall and the new fixture. And yes, I do have one darn red switch wire coming from the wall. The other difference is my wall wires somehow connect on up to the kitchen...because those are out. This pigtail thing is involved somehow too.......yikes...I think the electrician is going to have to come tomorrow....

I wanted to be so smart at this...but it has me stumped.

[joed]

Joed
Would youl attach the two white coming from the wall to the two white from the fixture....all in one cap...and not separate them as I did?
Yes all white together.

[lucygirl]

Yes all white together.


You are awesome!!!!!! It worked perfectly. Thank you so much for your help. Be ready, because I will have another question soon. :D

[joed]

That wiring should all be in a box, not just stuffed into a hole inthe wall.

[lucygirl]

That wiring should all be in a box, not just stuffed into a hole inthe wall.
I figured that someone messed up at some point. I installed a box....thank you for all your help. 3 light fixtures and 1 celing fan later, I really appreciate the advice received here.