My father had hooked up a new light and and a ceiling fan. whe the switch was in the off position the lights and fan came on, whe placed into the on position the lights went off, then the fuse popped. there are 2 switches that control both one in kitchen and one in the hall. unsure if the circuit they are on can handle the wattage they are producing or if there may be a short in the switch any help would be appreciated.
2007-07-28 15:47:16 · 4 answers · asked by Quasar1 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
When the lights came on and the both switches were in the off positioned it acted as a complete circuit but when the switch was placed in the on position the light went off, but at that time it popped the fuse. The switches on the control both lights at the same time. When both fixtures were lights it worked fine, but once one of the light fixtures turned into a fan/light combo its not working correctly. Im thinking either bad switches or the area cant handle the wattage but unsure since, the main concern is the lights come on when both switches are in off position
2007-07-28 16:13:10 · update #1
It sounds to me like you have three way switches. So the normal on and off position does not apply. And it sounds like the fan / light may have been wired wrong. Or the circuit is over loaded when the fan comes on.
2007-07-29 03:51:19 · answer #1 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would advise you to hire an electrician. If you really wish to try it yourself, read on.
Turn off the breaker before and while working on any of the wiring.
When the old fixture was removed, was there one whit wire connect to the black wires?
If there was, and he connected all the white wires to-gether and all the black wires to-gether; the light would come on when the breaker was turned on if the switch was in the off position.
As soon as the switch is turned on it would short out the circuit and trip the breaker.
The light fixture has to be removed.
Caution: If there are any red wires, call an electrician. It is too hard to explain clearly and correctly without knowing what wires are in each outlet box (the 2 switches, and lights).
You have to determine which wires go to the switch for that light.
If it is a 2 wire cable with a black and a white wire, connect the white wire that goes to the switch to the other black wires and the black wire that goes to the switch connects to the fixture's black wire(s). The rest of the white wires connect to-gether and to the fixture's white wire(s).
I still would advise you to hire an electrician.
Good Luck
2007-08-01 10:46:47 · answer #2 · answered by Comp-Elect 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
>whe the switch was in the off position the lights and fan came on<
How did they come on? Was a switch turned on?
>whe placed into the on position the lights went off, then the fuse popped.<
When you put the above switch in the on position?
What is the rating of the outlet?
>there are 2 switches that control both one in kitchen and one in the hall.<
By design or a splitter?
2007-07-28 15:59:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is either an older home with 2 wire wiring or it's 3 wire and you have the wrong switches installed. If it's a wrong type switch installation you'll need 2 or 3 way switches and not typical single pole types.
Either way, I suggest you get an electrician to survey and remedy this . . . DIY wiring is one of the top three leading causes of fire.
Mike Lonergan
TradesProfessional, Inc.
http://www.tradesprofessional.com
2007-07-28 17:01:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋