Installing a light fixture where a ceiling fan use to be?

Question

Ceiling box has four wires containing black, white and ground. All black were tied together with one white and the three white tied together. When the new light was installed white to white (3) black to black with one white. The single switch on the wall would not allow light to shut off. What to do now?

Answer 1

The only time the National Electrical Code permits a white wire to be used as a "hot" wire is in a residential application and where it feeds a switch. However, the white wire needs to be identified as a hot.

To identify the white as a hot, use a black permanent marker or wrap the wire with black electrical tape both in the light box and in the switch box.

To repair this, turn off the power and separate the black wires only.

The one white wire that connects to the other blacks is the feed to the switch. The black wire that is in this same cable as this white needs to be removed from this bundle and attached to the black on the light.

Now reconnect the other black wires together with that 1 white wire (now identified as a "hot"), wire nut them and tuck these into the box. The light does not connect to these wires.

Now turn the power back on and test.

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Answer 2

First of all you have too many wires in the ceiling box. I assume you live in an old house. Years ago the lights had pull chains so the hot lead was in the ceiling box. Modern electrical code brings the hot lead to the switch and runs it up to the ceiling fixture. This way, when you turn off the switch, the power is dead at the ceiling box. The old method, the wires are alive at the ceiling box. How the black and white wires are tied together without a short is beyond me.
There is no red wire mentioned, so I assume it is not a three way switch. The best thing to do is to seperate the wires and use a tester. A simple way is to purchase a pigtail. It is a rubber coated light buld holder that has two exposed wires.
Seperate the black and white and turn on the switch. Touch one end of the pigtail to a black wire and the other one to a white. If the bulb lights, turn off the switch. If the switch turns off the light, those are the two leads for your new ceiling light. When you seperate the wire, observe if others outlets or lights go dead. That means the hot leads are running through the ceiling box and provideing power to other lights or outlets.
This was common practice years ago. A hot lead is run to a ceiling box and supplied other lights or outlets. Most common is that the white wire becomes the switch leg. That means the ceiling box is always alive. Once you find the switch leg for your new light, you may have to connect the black wires together, to feed other lights or fixtures. The white wires may have to be connected also to complete the circuit.

Answer 3

You have some wires crossed here. The trick is going to be to find the wire that comes off the bottom of the switch. If you have a voltage tester, I would turn off power to all the feeds going to the ceiling box. I would leave the white wires alone and separate the other wires and cap them off with a wire nut. Then re-energize the circuits then measure the voltage between each of the black wires and the group of white wires. I will assume you have the switch to the light off. You should find one or more black wires with no voltage on them. Turn the light switch on and go back and remeasure the wires again for voltage. One of the black wires, or the lone white will now have voltage. That is the hot wire that you want for the center contact of the light. The group of white wires will be connected to the other contact. Your light should work now. Oh, take the remaining black wires and tie them back together again.

Answer 4

it particularly is achievable, in case you have an attic above the mattress room, and it particularly is puzzling. First come to a selection the place you want the fan to circulate. Drill a small hollow in the ceiling there, and push a stiff right this moment piece of twine up into the attic. A twine coat hanger works sturdy. Then arise in the attic and locate the twine. sparkling out the insulation to show the ceiling sheetrock. hint a metallic ceiling fan container around the place the twine got here by way of, and decrease out the hollow. setting up some 2x4 bracing, linked to the joists, to help the container and fan. Now the genuine relaxing starts. locate the superb suited of the wall above the swap you opt to regulate the fan. Drill a a million/2 to 5/8 hollow in the direction of the superb suited plates, as on the factor of direclty above the swap as achievable. Then kill the circuit that controlls the swap. eliminate the disguise and pull the swap as a great way out of the container as achievable. eliminate between the tabs from the superb suited of the container. If it grew to become right into a fifteen amp circuit breaker or fuse controlling the swap, you will need 14 gage twine. For a 20 amp breaker, use 12 gage twine. Your going to could fish the twine in the direction of the hollow you made above the swap, down contained in the wall, and into the container the place you bumped off the tab. you may to purchase or borrow a fish tape for this. the different end of the twine will visit the container the place you want the fan. connect white, black and floor(bare twine) to the superb suited terminals on the swap. Hook up the fan in accordance to the instructions that incorporate it. turn the means back on, and you'll be arranged. in case you do not have an attic, you are able to the two decrease into the ceiling to run the wires or use conduit to run the wires on the exterior of the wall and ceiling, and floor mount the container to the ceiling. in basic terms confirm the container is securely anchored to a joist. If the container isn't securely fixed you possibility haveing the fan come crashing down onto regardless of is below it.

Answer 5

The white wire hooked to the black wires is your switch led. Remove it from the bundle and attach it to the black of the light only.

Answer 6

Gilchrist has the right answer,I'm also a master electrician. If this seems over your head and you don't have a multimeter you should call an electrician,please?

Answer 7

Gilchris and Oldhippi are right

Answer 8

call an electrician or a fireman