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Enthusiast
YYY, aren’t you on my level?
0 motivation to get out for a run today
Could I please get some DMs? 🙏🙏🙏
Additional Posts in Consulting
Rising Star
Cloud number 9
Sweetgreen or Chopt?
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Chief
Use a multimeter
Chief
Agree KPMG. Someone might’ve mixed these up. Always test!
You can usually tell which is which by taste— just a quick tap to the tongue. The power has to be on though
ahh okay thank you! let me go try this right now. If they taste similar, I connect them yes?
Chief
So:
On your light, you have a black (hot), white (neutral), and copper (ground)
On your box you have an interesting setup. The multimeter will help you identify which is which
Please note, it is entirely possible you have NO ground
Turn off the power before you do anything
Did you get a picture if the old wiring?
Looks like they ran a 12/3 and left the black hidden in the wall, or split off to service an adjacent fixture. Or for a three-way switch leg (do two separate light switches turn off this junction?)
Regardless: White to white. Black to red. Connect some scrap copper wire to metal mounting bracket, and tie the new copper to that.
So for anyone still curious, the answer was: Black to red, white to white, and copper to ground screw (either on the junction box or in my case, on the metal mounting plate for the light). Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions!
Chief
Great job and well done! Looks great!!
💪💪🤩🤩
Next step. Get a WiFi switch to schedule when it comes on. I did that to all my outdoor lights. Freaking love it.
the light I have had one copper wire, one black wire, and one WHITE wire*
Good question. You basically are on a switch loop with that set up. So basically you need to figure out which one of those white wires is hot when the switch is on hence the recommendation of the multimeter so you can correctly wire the loop. I’d recommend just getting an electrician for this one.
No it could be fine actually. It could mean it leads to another light somewhere
Pro
YouTube it. You’ll be fine.
I tried :/
Rising Star
Also look at the wiring on the switch that controls the light. You should be able to discern which wire is which leading to the electrical box, and if one is acting as the ground.
I do all my own electrical work and rather than using a typical multimeter I use a non contact voltage meter to determine if a wire is hot or not.
Rising Star
Did you cross post to the IT bowl or was someone else having the same problem?
Glad it worked for you. Good job!