DIYbanter - View Single Post - 3 way switch. 2 switches 2 recessed lights in the hall way

metspitzer

On Thu, 30 Jan 2014 15:23:04 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Thursday, January 30, 2014 3:17:52 PM UTC-8, Metspitzer wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:43:21 -0800 (PST),

wrote:

About a year ago I had two recessed lights installed in the hallway. They were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole out and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the newer flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped working. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

Just a few weeks ago I called the actual makers of the recessed lighting and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual units internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had something to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an easy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the connections with the new identical unit.

Switched off the power to the hallway, tested making sure I turned off the right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, and as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual light. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which said it's in the neutral position after being popped.

I checked the other light and it is black to black / white to white / ground to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since it for sure worked for a couple months.

I am interested in knowing how you talked the rep into sending you new

fixtures and how they both ended up going bad the same day.

What I would do is just disconnect both fixtures and cap the wires and

see if the clears the problem.

the guy was willing to send me new ones with no hassle at all. I just called the "tech" support. and he easily sent me new ones. No Receipt, I told him my model number.. He even sent me the wrong two. Took it to my local hardware shop and exchanged them for the correct ones, earning myself 60 bucks on a gift card.. lol. I didn't want to send them back and get new ones so forth. But there might not be any pproblem with the units and I might be able to return both new ones and get a positive. This money I can spend on an electrician. ha

just cap them off and have them connected to nothing but the caps?

Black to black. White to white and green/bare to bare is almost a
slam dunk correct hookup.

What I would do is test one of the "bad" fixtures by hooking it up to
120v. I am not sure I would tell you to do that though.

If you only messed with one light, what I would do is just disconnect
it temporary and cap the (house wiring to the fixture) black white
with wire nuts.

Then I would reset the breaker and just see if it holds.