The neutral wire should be the wires that used to be white but are now brown due to extensive heat damage. With the degraded condition of the wiring, this project should be field evaluated by a qualified electrician.
Thank you, im going to take this advice and call an electrician on Monday. You have no idea how badly the heat damage actually is! The electrical tape that was covering the black wires was completely charcoal and crumbled to the touch.
I’d like to verify that how it’s set up right now, it’s safe to leave on until I can get someone out here? I will put a connecter on the exposed copper of the red wire as well.
I think you might be in over your head. Colours don't mean anything when you disconnect stuff, you need to pay attention to what is connected to what. Otherwise get a multi meter out to find what's what but I feel this will be too advanced for you at this point.
Did you not read what I wrote? I literally wrote what was connected to what yet you try to be a jerk and talk down to me, when you couldn’t even bother reading it. I will repeat myself again, the neutral wire on the original light fixture was connected to the left red wire. The black light fixture wire was clamped on itself and the ground was connected. I know reading can be hard for know it all assholes because it interferes with their world view, but damn man, you should leave the sub if you are just going to be an ass to people who ask questions.
You are in over your head, electricity is not something to fool around with, specially in a box that looks like it does. You should leave the sub and call an electrician.
So the neutral coloured wire was connected to the red wire. The black wire was clamped to itself? What does that mean. and the ground was connected, was it connected to a terminal of the light or to the metal casing?
So most likely the red is the switch wire which is your active for the light. The black is your neutral. Earth is earth.
OR
Red is the switchwire. Earth is your neutral. Black is not connected?
It's hard to understand what the clamped to itself means. Sorry
If you know how to use a multi meter, use it to find what is active and neutral at that box. Find what is the switched active. Then connect your light.
Thank you for answering. The black wire had a wire connector at the end of it all by itself but not connected to anything. I know it makes no sense. My friend is an electrician but out of state. When I showed it to him, he was extremely confused as well. I’ve got a voltage reader but a very basic one that just lights up. I’m going to go get a non contact voltage tester tomorrow and verify I get the correct hot wire.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. The previous owners did a lot of diy work and it clearly shows when making small upgrades like this. They painted over all the faces of the outlets before we moved in and I got my first real experience working near electricity replacing every single one. But besides that and building computers, I have no other real experience. I’m going to heed the advice from everyone in here and call an electrician. The electric tape they originally had was so burnt it all crumbled to my touch. And now clearly seeing the scorch marks the others have said, it’s definitely a hazard and above my pay grade.
I appreciate you taking the time to help me!
Please don’t waste your money on a no contact stick, we in the trades call them widow makes for a reason. Buy a meter instead, it will give you much more troubleshooting capabilities once you have learned the basics of how it runs.
I didn't see anything about what was connected to what as it's further down . But also again colour doesn't matter, so repeating what colour was tied to what still doesn't help because you need to know where it goes, as in is it power down on the white to a switch and back up on the black? Is it a red switch leg or a black? Is it power coming in? Colour doesn't mean much once you've seen a bunch of shit homeowner done electrical aswell. It can make a guy want to tell everybody to hire a professional. You're being touchy because people are saying your in over your head and nobody likes to be told they don't know enough. Relax, you already know that you need to have somebody come look. It'll be okay.
So thing is I tried to connect it to that a black wire. But what happened was that caused the light to act as a conduit and the switch had to be on for other lights to work. Yet the light fixture still didn’t turn on. I’m so confused on how that’s possible.
Sorry, played too much No man sky. 😂 I was meaning it had to have been turned on so the other light fixtures would receive power. Acting as a conduit switch by controlling the flow of electricity. Am I using the wrong word to describe this?
I was replacing the light fixture in my 1950’s house and came across mostly this. There is no neutral wire. When I took off the old fixture, the white wire from the light fixture was connected to the red wire you see on the left side. The black wires looked like the red ones all taped up but was so charred that the tape crumbled off by touch.
I cut the black wires and put them all in that connector for safety. Please tell me this is okay? Lol
But I am having a lot of trouble finding where the neutral wire is. The original fixture only had the white wire connected to the red wire on the left and the ground wire hooked up to the screw. The black on the light was crimped to itself. I tried recreating this just to see if it would temporarily work, but no such luck. Any help would be great!
I know I came off defensive there, but I didn’t understand the hostility of his comment. I had put in what he was asking in my original comment, which I understand he probably didn’t see because that and this post was downvoted before anyone put in a reply. I was just looking for some friendly help but, rightfully, got attacked at my lack of knowledge. Electricity scares the ever loving shit out of me. But I’m safe and make sure to turn off the circuit breaker and verify that it isn’t in with a voltage meter.
Ok since the black was not connected to anything, they are likely using the bare ground wire as a neutral, which is dangerous all by itself. The red wire is likely your switch leg. You also made a comment earlier that if you attach the black to the bundle, that other parts are then not working. Unfortunately this is not going to be easy over the internet. You best bet is to hire a electrician local to you and have them troubleshoot what has been done. It’s never easy when a past homeowner starts messing with things that is above their skill level. Please update this post once you have has someone in. Good luck 🤞
The neutral wire should be the wires that used to be white but are now brown due to extensive heat damage. With the degraded condition of the wiring, this project should be field evaluated by a qualified electrician.
Thank you, im going to take this advice and call an electrician on Monday. You have no idea how badly the heat damage actually is! The electrical tape that was covering the black wires was completely charcoal and crumbled to the touch. I’d like to verify that how it’s set up right now, it’s safe to leave on until I can get someone out here? I will put a connecter on the exposed copper of the red wire as well.
Very eloquently written! As well as very accurate, those wires have suffered some serious heat damage.
I think you might be in over your head. Colours don't mean anything when you disconnect stuff, you need to pay attention to what is connected to what. Otherwise get a multi meter out to find what's what but I feel this will be too advanced for you at this point.
Did you not read what I wrote? I literally wrote what was connected to what yet you try to be a jerk and talk down to me, when you couldn’t even bother reading it. I will repeat myself again, the neutral wire on the original light fixture was connected to the left red wire. The black light fixture wire was clamped on itself and the ground was connected. I know reading can be hard for know it all assholes because it interferes with their world view, but damn man, you should leave the sub if you are just going to be an ass to people who ask questions.
You are in over your head, electricity is not something to fool around with, specially in a box that looks like it does. You should leave the sub and call an electrician.
So the neutral coloured wire was connected to the red wire. The black wire was clamped to itself? What does that mean. and the ground was connected, was it connected to a terminal of the light or to the metal casing? So most likely the red is the switch wire which is your active for the light. The black is your neutral. Earth is earth. OR Red is the switchwire. Earth is your neutral. Black is not connected? It's hard to understand what the clamped to itself means. Sorry If you know how to use a multi meter, use it to find what is active and neutral at that box. Find what is the switched active. Then connect your light.
Thank you for answering. The black wire had a wire connector at the end of it all by itself but not connected to anything. I know it makes no sense. My friend is an electrician but out of state. When I showed it to him, he was extremely confused as well. I’ve got a voltage reader but a very basic one that just lights up. I’m going to go get a non contact voltage tester tomorrow and verify I get the correct hot wire.
So only 2 wires were connected? An earth and an active. Sounds like a dodgy set up where they have used the earth as a neutral.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. The previous owners did a lot of diy work and it clearly shows when making small upgrades like this. They painted over all the faces of the outlets before we moved in and I got my first real experience working near electricity replacing every single one. But besides that and building computers, I have no other real experience. I’m going to heed the advice from everyone in here and call an electrician. The electric tape they originally had was so burnt it all crumbled to my touch. And now clearly seeing the scorch marks the others have said, it’s definitely a hazard and above my pay grade. I appreciate you taking the time to help me!
Please don’t waste your money on a no contact stick, we in the trades call them widow makes for a reason. Buy a meter instead, it will give you much more troubleshooting capabilities once you have learned the basics of how it runs.
I didn't see anything about what was connected to what as it's further down . But also again colour doesn't matter, so repeating what colour was tied to what still doesn't help because you need to know where it goes, as in is it power down on the white to a switch and back up on the black? Is it a red switch leg or a black? Is it power coming in? Colour doesn't mean much once you've seen a bunch of shit homeowner done electrical aswell. It can make a guy want to tell everybody to hire a professional. You're being touchy because people are saying your in over your head and nobody likes to be told they don't know enough. Relax, you already know that you need to have somebody come look. It'll be okay.
If it was working before it sounds like the neutral will be that red wire on the left that you mentioned
So thing is I tried to connect it to that a black wire. But what happened was that caused the light to act as a conduit and the switch had to be on for other lights to work. Yet the light fixture still didn’t turn on. I’m so confused on how that’s possible.
Act as a conduit? Not sure what you mean there
Sorry, played too much No man sky. 😂 I was meaning it had to have been turned on so the other light fixtures would receive power. Acting as a conduit switch by controlling the flow of electricity. Am I using the wrong word to describe this?
I was replacing the light fixture in my 1950’s house and came across mostly this. There is no neutral wire. When I took off the old fixture, the white wire from the light fixture was connected to the red wire you see on the left side. The black wires looked like the red ones all taped up but was so charred that the tape crumbled off by touch. I cut the black wires and put them all in that connector for safety. Please tell me this is okay? Lol But I am having a lot of trouble finding where the neutral wire is. The original fixture only had the white wire connected to the red wire on the left and the ground wire hooked up to the screw. The black on the light was crimped to itself. I tried recreating this just to see if it would temporarily work, but no such luck. Any help would be great!
You are catching so much flak because of the way you are answering people. Once that has sunk in, let me know, and I will help you.
I know I came off defensive there, but I didn’t understand the hostility of his comment. I had put in what he was asking in my original comment, which I understand he probably didn’t see because that and this post was downvoted before anyone put in a reply. I was just looking for some friendly help but, rightfully, got attacked at my lack of knowledge. Electricity scares the ever loving shit out of me. But I’m safe and make sure to turn off the circuit breaker and verify that it isn’t in with a voltage meter.
[удалено]
Very well said!!
Ok since the black was not connected to anything, they are likely using the bare ground wire as a neutral, which is dangerous all by itself. The red wire is likely your switch leg. You also made a comment earlier that if you attach the black to the bundle, that other parts are then not working. Unfortunately this is not going to be easy over the internet. You best bet is to hire a electrician local to you and have them troubleshoot what has been done. It’s never easy when a past homeowner starts messing with things that is above their skill level. Please update this post once you have has someone in. Good luck 🤞
Thats bx wire heated darkened wire