John Grabowski wrote:


"Aaron Fude" wrote in message
...
On May 10, 10:36 pm, "RBM" wrote:

"metspitzer" wrote in message

...





On Sat, 10 May 2008 22:03:16 -0400, "RBM" wrote:

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...

"Aaron Fude" wrote in message
...

I'm sure you guys will crack it instantly.

I'm replacing a light and the switch that controlled it. I
removed the
switch first. The switch connected a black and a white wire that
came
in the same sheath. The white one was hot. (I know that sometimes
this
means something, but what?)

Then when I removed the light I discovered that it, too, had a black
and a white wire connected to it, and the black one is hot. Now that
the light is disconnected, the black whire is still hot, but the
wire
that used to be connected to the switch is now dead.

There are no other wires in either electrical box.

I'm racking by brain, but can't figure out how everything was
connected.

Many thanks in advance!

Aaron

I'm thinking that there is another junction box somewhere where these
wires could be connected. Is there another light fixture in the same
room? Is there an accessible attic above so you can go see if
there is
a
junction box up there? Did an electrical box get buried during a
remodel?

I agree, the op either missed the second cable and splice in one of the
junction boxes or there is obviously a third box, and they mistakenly
broke
the neutral through the switch

Sounds like to me he is just trying to get a voltage reading across
the switch.

If he took a switch out he would only have 2 wires to put back. You
can't really mess it up.

When he took the light down, there is only 2 wires to put back too.

Seems like he is mistaken of the meter readings.

I think he's just trying to figure how it works, not so much, how to
put it
back. As you said, he really can't go wrong. I belive he's thinking that
with the switch wires disconnected, he shouldn't still have a hot wire at
the light, which is correct, except for when the neutral was switched
instead of the hot



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Hi,

To clarify matters - yes, I'm just trying to figure out how it works,
not how to put it back together. And I still don't get it.

There are *only* to wires in each electrical box. I'm sure I did not
miss anything, because I have now removed the electrical boxes. Each
of the two wires came from a single romex.

So Cliff's suggestion was mostly likely, but that is not it. So I am
still puzzled.

One thing I am thinking is that I've been using a cheapo pen-like
voltage detector. Maybe my readings are wrong. I will go back and use
something a little bit more refined.



Use a pigtail socket and light bulb for testing.

When you made your determination that the white wire from the switch
was hot, was the light socket still connected? If so, you were just
measuring the line voltage through the bulb. Done properly, the
white wire to a switch should have a black marking to signal that it,
too, has the potential (no pun intended) to be hot.

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