Jeff Wisnia wrote:
If you didn't record the original wiring, then puhleeze hire a pro to
figure it out before you burn down your house or electrocute yourself.

"It was working before, but now it doesn't." We seem to be getting a
spate of the same kind of posts these days from folks who know squat
about electric wiring.

"Fools rush in where angels dare to tread."

Amen to that.

And a fire department and insurance company won't be too impressed
(invalidate your policy?) if they investigate and find wiring that has
been obviously done on the 'try this and that' method! I wonder how
many ungrounded and improperly wired light fixtures there are out there
that have been installed by unknowing amateurs/homeowners?

One concern with the frequent mention in foregoing posts of a green
wire (green and or green/yellow etc.) are most commonly (should be)
used for grounding, is that something or somewhere in the OPs situation
is not grounded?

Really worrying also when such a situation seemingly works ("Well the
light goes on and off"!) but is miswired!

One of these days someone or even child standing on chair may touch one
of the screws which hold the switch flush plates and get a shock. Seems
like remote possibility of course. Wasn't there a case, some 30+ years
ago, of a child who stuffed some food into a duplex outlet on a wall
near her chrome metal high chair and got a fatal shock? Maybe in that
case nothing WAS miswired but shows the possibility and necessity to
'do' electricity sensibly, safely and to code.

I've seen one light switch in a wall box wired correctly into the live
lead to produce a 'switched live', right next to an adjacent switch
miswired into the neutral side of another light. Couldn't quite figure
how it got that way but seemed like another switched light had been
added and the homeowner had got confused about the use of a white wire
as the switched live of the original wiring versus the neutral of the
addition??? Give me strength!

And yes we are currently getting frequent posts by people who obviously
'don't have an electrical clue'! Unlikely that any of us could be held
liable if something happened?
But, for example, I have a neighbour whose garage is so badly wired
that I won't touch it! I don't even visit it. That all started after he
had bought the property and; a) He had seemingly defective fluorescent
fixtures, he did. b) They lost one leg of of the 3 wire 115 - 0 - 115
and the 'electrician' he engaged to supposedly check it didn't have a
meter!

And we have all probably seen worse 'bodges'?
But even on a regular 15 amp lighting circuit we are, given the right
circumstances, dealing with sufficient electricity to kill and/or burn
down a house.

Here endeth the sermon!