On 17 Dec 2006 16:39:42 -0800, "angelasg"
wrote:

I bought a chandelier second hand. It did not come with the manual. I
looked up general instructions on the internet.

Every article I read said to connect the black wire from the junction
box to the black wire on the fixture and likewise for the white wires.
They said to hook up the bare copper ground wire to the ground wire of
the fixture. The problem is that both wires on the fixture are clear.

I looked up what the worse thing that could happen was if I installed
them backwards. The articles said it would either trip the breaker or
not work at all.

There are articles that say that? They are wrong on both counts.
Connecting black or the equivalent of it to white, and white or the
equivalent of it to black will not trip a breaker and will work just
as well as connecting it correctly. There is nothing directional
about a lightbulb. And it's alternating current anyhow, for gosh
sake. It goes in one direction, and then another. So it won't work
less well if it is connected backwards.

The only reason to connect it right is as others have said, to avoid a
shock. But when you're not getting a shock, there is no functional
difference.

And be sure to read what John posted.

So I figured I would just hook it up one way and see
if it worked and then switch them if it didn't. I have switched the
connections now about five times and no combination seems to work. I
did strip the wire some more just to make sure they were making
contact, but still no luck.

In addition, the mounting strap had a hole labeled ground on the
fixture, but there was no way to attach the bare copper wire. At first
I left it tucked into the junction box, then I tried running it through
the hole making sure it made contact with the strap.

There are four light bulbs all with the filament attached. In the
unlikely case it was the lightbulbs, I did switch one out. Still
nothing.

I don't have a voltage tester at the moment.

Is there any way to test the chandelier itself to make sure it works?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Angela