Light Fixture Install question

12 years ago

I am trying to install a light fixture in my bathroom.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/66fB-q15hZJWsKYjX4uYaQ?feat=directlink

When the power is turned on, the black wire is hot but the red one is not. When I turn on the light switch for this outlet, both black and red turn hot.

Here's the light fixture

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hCioBnBe-Ukl8jskN7-B6w?feat=directlink

I've tried installing the fixture by connecting the black to black and white to red AND by connecting the black (of the light fixture) to the red of the outlet and the white of the light fixture to the black of the outlet but neither works. Any suggestions?

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Comments (3)

Ron Natalie
12 years ago
How about some of those white wires in there.
kurto
12 years ago
Can't tell from your description how many cables come into this box. As ronnatalie suggests, the white wire from the light needs to go to the white wire from the panel. I'd then suspect that the black wire from the light goes to the red wire from the switch.

Give us some more information, or a picture of the wires, and we might be able to help.

BTW, it can be dangerous connecting wires in a random fashion until they "work". Among other things, just because a light "works" doesn't mean it's connected properly.
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Billl
12 years ago
Can you take that plate off the box and take another picture?

Also, what was there before?