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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage fixture in
my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house is old, and the
wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures, including this one, have
voltage in the box even when the switch is turned off (learned this the hard
way with the first light I replaced in the house). Seems like the power runs
through the fixture down to the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know
if this would make a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is
just defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer making
a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also thought it might
be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems okay. I've even tried
reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?

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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

With the switch "on", you have to test the terminals of the track to see if
you have 120 volts. If you do, the issue is with the transformer or fixture,
if not, it would be an open circuit, possibly at the switch


"6zbeast" u29345@uwe wrote in message news:698cfc67ce9d8@uwe...
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage fixture
in
my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house is old, and the
wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures, including this one,
have
voltage in the box even when the switch is turned off (learned this the
hard
way with the first light I replaced in the house). Seems like the power
runs
through the fixture down to the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t
know
if this would make a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is
just defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer
making
a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also thought it
might
be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems okay. I've even tried
reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I replaced
in the house). Seems like the power runs through the fixture down to
the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know if this would make
a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is just
defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer
making a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also
thought it might be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems
okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind of work a older analog
meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection until you
find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a little,
it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Thanks! I have a voltage meter, one of the analog ones. I will have to test
it. Now a dumb question. Regular voltage in a house is AC 120 right? Does
the low voltage transformer change it to DC? And it it DC 5, 10 or 20?

RBM wrote:
With the switch "on", you have to test the terminals of the track to see if
you have 120 volts. If you do, the issue is with the transformer or fixture,
if not, it would be an open circuit, possibly at the switch

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage fixture
in

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

Any ideas?


--
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

I checked each of the bulbs, and they are okay. Since there are 5, and it is
new, I would expect at least one of them to work. I have an analoge voltage
meter. I'm just not sure what setting to put it on to check the track.

Joseph Meehan wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind of work a older analog
meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection until you
find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a little,
it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?


--
Message posted via http://www.homekb.com



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RBM RBM is offline
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

A transformer will change the voltage to either 12 or 24 volts depending
upon fixture. A rectifier would convert it from AC to DC, but I don't
believe any low voltage fixtures need DC


"6zbeast via HomeKB.com" u29345@uwe wrote in message
news:6992c612f752f@uwe...
Thanks! I have a voltage meter, one of the analog ones. I will have to
test
it. Now a dumb question. Regular voltage in a house is AC 120 right?
Does
the low voltage transformer change it to DC? And it it DC 5, 10 or 20?

RBM wrote:
With the switch "on", you have to test the terminals of the track to see
if
you have 120 volts. If you do, the issue is with the transformer or
fixture,
if not, it would be an open circuit, possibly at the switch

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage fixture
in

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

Any ideas?


--
Message posted via http://www.homekb.com



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is not
proper and dangerous




"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
.. .
6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I replaced
in the house). Seems like the power runs through the fixture down to
the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know if this would make
a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is just
defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer
making a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also
thought it might be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems
okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind of work a older
analog meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection
until you find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit





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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

What is a switched neutral? I know that in the light fixture, there is a
white and black wire. The ground wire is attached to the metal box. The
white wire is always charged, even if the switch is turned off. There is
only one switch that controls that light. I know at least two other lights
in the house have the same set up (because I dumbly turned off only the
switch when I changed the first light in the house, and got shocked. Then I
bought the voltometer, and when I changed the second light learned that it
had charge as well, as an experiment and then turned off the power at the
breaker which I always do now).

RBM wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is not
proper and dangerous

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?


--
Message posted via HomeKB.com
http://www.homekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/repair/200611/1

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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

RBM wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is
not proper and dangerous


I must of misread. A switched neutral would be very bad. However I
can't see where he said that. If you mean "Many light fixtures, including
this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is turned off" that
would not mean a switched neutral, it could mean the power is supplied to
the box at the light and a separate run is made from there to the switch.







"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
.. .
6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I
replaced in the house). Seems like the power runs through the
fixture down to the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know
if this would make a low voltage light not work. Maybe the
transformer is just defective. When I turn it on, I can barely
hear the transformer making a slight buzz sound, but the lights
don't light up. I also thought it might be the track, but I've
inspected it and it seems okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it,
still no luck. Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result
in measuring AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind
of work a older analog meter is better. The voltage has to be
measured at each connection until you find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

6zbeast via HomeKB.com wrote:
I checked each of the bulbs, and they are okay. Since there are 5,
and it is new, I would expect at least one of them to work. I have
an analoge voltage meter. I'm just not sure what setting to put it on
to check the track.


Go ahead and look for 120V it is likely to be something like 12V but
start large and then move down.


Joseph Meehan wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result
in measuring AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind
of work a older analog meter is better. The voltage has to be
measured at each connection until you find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit





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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Will do. Thanks SOOOO much for your help!


Joseph Meehan wrote:
I checked each of the bulbs, and they are okay. Since there are 5,
and it is new, I would expect at least one of them to work. I have
an analoge voltage meter. I'm just not sure what setting to put it on
to check the track.


Go ahead and look for 120V it is likely to be something like 12V but
start large and then move down.

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?



--
Message posted via HomeKB.com
http://www.homekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/repair/200611/1

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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

6zbeast via HomeKB.com wrote:
What is a switched neutral? I know that in the light fixture, there
is a white and black wire. The ground wire is attached to the metal
box. The white wire is always charged, even if the switch is turned
off.


That should not be if it were properly wired and measured. However, as
I recall a white wire may be use between the fixture and a switch, but I
believe it should be one the switched side of the switch (it should not be
hot when the switch was off) and I believe it also is suppose to be marked
at each end. I would have to look it up if I were to need to wire a switch
like this.


There is only one switch that controls that light. I know at
least two other lights in the house have the same set up (because I
dumbly turned off only the switch when I changed the first light in
the house, and got shocked. Then I bought the voltometer, and when I
changed the second light learned that it had charge as well, as an
experiment and then turned off the power at the breaker which I
always do now).

RBM wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is
not proper and dangerous

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The
house

[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Cool, thanks!

Joseph Meehan wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is
not proper and dangerous


I must of misread. A switched neutral would be very bad. However I
can't see where he said that. If you mean "Many light fixtures, including
this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is turned off" that
would not mean a switched neutral, it could mean the power is supplied to
the box at the light and a separate run is made from there to the switch.

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]

Dia 's Muire duit



--
Message posted via HomeKB.com
http://www.homekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/repair/200611/1

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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:42:55 GMT, "6zbeast via HomeKB.com"
u29345@uwe wrote:

Thanks! I have a voltage meter, one of the analog ones. I will have to test
it. Now a dumb question. Regular voltage in a house is AC 120 right?


I've heard people say 110, 115, 117, 118, 120, and 125. The actual
voltage should be in that range. I measure almost exactly 120VAC here.

Older people are more likely to say 110.

Does
the low voltage transformer change it to DC?


A transformer requires AC, and can change the voltage. It does not
convert it to DC. That requires additional circuitry. That is unlikely
to be there, since most lights (other than LEDs) will work with AC.

And it it DC 5, 10 or 20?


12VAC seems common, but I haven't looked at that many. The LV system I
have is 12VAC. Some may use 24VAC.

RBM wrote:
With the switch "on", you have to test the terminals of the track to see if
you have 120 volts. If you do, the issue is with the transformer or fixture,
if not, it would be an open circuit, possibly at the switch

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage fixture
in

[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]

Any ideas?

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:19:54 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I replaced
in the house). Seems like the power runs through the fixture down to
the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know if this would make
a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is just
defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer
making a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also
thought it might be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems
okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there.


A high impedance source. The voltage is really there, but the source
has a VERY low load capacity.

For this kind of work a older analog
meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection until you
find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a little,
it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin


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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:45:15 GMT, "6zbeast via HomeKB.com"
u29345@uwe wrote:

I checked each of the bulbs, and they are okay. Since there are 5, and it is
new, I would expect at least one of them to work. I have an analoge voltage
meter. I'm just not sure what setting to put it on to check the track.


Try the 300VAC range. If it shows a low reading, reduce the range
until the pointer reads over 1/3 scale.

Joseph Meehan wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind of work a older analog
meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection until you
find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a little,
it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 09:59:01 -0500, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is not
proper and dangerous


Somehow, I get the idea that the switch is connected to the correct
(black) wire, but the connections to the source are wrong, making the
white wire hot.




"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I replaced
in the house). Seems like the power runs through the fixture down to
the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know if this would make
a low voltage light not work. Maybe the transformer is just
defective. When I turn it on, I can barely hear the transformer
making a slight buzz sound, but the lights don't light up. I also
thought it might be the track, but I've inspected it and it seems
okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it, still no luck.

Any ideas?


That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage in and
voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result in measuring
AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind of work a older
analog meter is better. The voltage has to be measured at each connection
until you find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit




--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:58:11 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

6zbeast via HomeKB.com wrote:
What is a switched neutral? I know that in the light fixture, there
is a white and black wire. The ground wire is attached to the metal
box. The white wire is always charged, even if the switch is turned
off.


That should not be if it were properly wired and measured. However, as
I recall a white wire may be use between the fixture and a switch, but I
believe it should be one the switched side of the switch (it should not be
hot when the switch was off)


White is used between the power source and the switch (always hot).
Black is used from the switch, probably so you get the correct colors
at the fixture.

I'd rather have all the wires in the switch box, rather than a switch
loop. It's more versatile.

and I believe it also is suppose to be marked
at each end.


It should. I expect a lot to not be marked. I've seen a lot in this
house (built around 1969). None were marked. (They also used 10/2
Romex for the 240V circuits, and didn't mark the white as red).

I would have to look it up if I were to need to wire a switch
like this.


There is only one switch that controls that light. I know at
least two other lights in the house have the same set up (because I
dumbly turned off only the switch when I changed the first light in
the house, and got shocked. Then I bought the voltometer, and when I
changed the second light learned that it had charge as well, as an
experiment and then turned off the power at the breaker which I
always do now).

RBM wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is
not proper and dangerous

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The
house
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:47:34 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

RBM wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is
not proper and dangerous


I must of misread. A switched neutral would be very bad. However I
can't see where he said that. If you mean "Many light fixtures, including
this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is turned off" that
would not mean a switched neutral, it could mean the power is supplied to
the box at the light and a separate run is made from there to the switch.


It could. Much of my house is wired that way. Romex from the breaker
panel is wired to a node near the ceiling light. Cables from the
switch and all the receptacles in that room connect to that. You see 2
junctions with a lot of wires in them. One is a bunch of white wires
(including a wire to the light). The other is a bunch of black with
one white. That white wire is the one going to the light switch.

The "hot" node is not connected directly to the light. Doing so would
bypass the switch and keep the light on all the time.







"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
.. .
6zbeast wrote:
I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house
is old, and the wiring is always a surprise. Many light fixtures,
including this one, have voltage in the box even when the switch is
turned off (learned this the hard way with the first light I
replaced in the house). Seems like the power runs through the
fixture down to the swich, instead of the reverse. I don' t know
if this would make a low voltage light not work. Maybe the
transformer is just defective. When I turn it on, I can barely
hear the transformer making a slight buzz sound, but the lights
don't light up. I also thought it might be the track, but I've
inspected it and it seems okay. I've even tried reverse wiring it,
still no luck. Any ideas?

That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result
in measuring AC voltages that are really not there. For this kind
of work a older analog meter is better. The voltage has to be
measured at each connection until you find one that is dead.

I would have to guess that if the transformer is buzzing, even a
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:19:54 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

...


Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result
in measuring AC voltages that are really not there.


A high impedance source. The voltage is really there, but the source
has a VERY low load capacity.


True. Voltage but almost zero current potential.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit





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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Would any of this affect whether the low voltage light I'm trying to instal
works? The old light worked just fine, and went on and off with the switch.
It had the same three wires as the new low voltage light. I have no idea why,
if the white wire is always "hot" the light did not stay on constantly.
Somehow it all worked before.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.


I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is not
proper and dangerous


Somehow, I get the idea that the switch is connected to the correct
(black) wire, but the connections to the source are wrong, making the
white wire hot.

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?



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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:30:35 GMT, "6zbeast via HomeKB.com"
u29345@uwe wrote:

Would any of this affect whether the low voltage light I'm trying to instal
works? The old light worked just fine, and went on and off with the switch.
It had the same three wires as the new low voltage light. I have no idea why,
if the white wire is always "hot" the light did not stay on constantly.
Somehow it all worked before.


It's about safety. The light should still work exactly the same when
no one is touching the wires.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
That wiring is not unusual. It is proper to do it either way.

I think you misunderstood him. He's got a switched neutral, which is not
proper and dangerous


Somehow, I get the idea that the switch is connected to the correct
(black) wire, but the connections to the source are wrong, making the
white wire hot.

I was hoping somebody could help. I have installed a low voltage
fixture in my hallway and I can't seem to get it to work. The house

[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
little, it is getting voltage. Have you checked the bulb(s)?

--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:21:21 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:19:54 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

..


Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can result
in measuring AC voltages that are really not there.


A high impedance source. The voltage is really there, but the source
has a VERY low load capacity.


True. Voltage but almost zero current potential.


Possibly leading to inconsistent readings on different ranges of an
analog meter (meter causes a different load on each range).
--
35 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligable. Early
in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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Default Electrical in Old House for Low Voltage Fixture

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:21:21 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:19:54 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

..


Someone needs to measure the voltage at the transformer (voltage
in and voltage out). Remember that using a digital meter can
result in measuring AC voltages that are really not there.

A high impedance source. The voltage is really there, but the source
has a VERY low load capacity.


True. Voltage but almost zero current potential.


Possibly leading to inconsistent readings on different ranges of an
analog meter (meter causes a different load on each range).


You are too use to professional level meters. :-) Most digital meters
OP's will have low enough resistance they would be lucky to get any readings
of voltage no matter what range they used. :-)

Of course you are right.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



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