Replacing Ceiling Lighting Fixtures
When replacing ceiling light fixtures, I noticed there are 3 wires in a ceiling junction box - one black, one white and one red. The new light fixture only has a black, white and a ground wire. I know how to connect the black and white ones to the new fixture. Can you tell me how the red one should be connected? Thanks for your help.
Answer: For majority of the cases, where are two scenarios where you will find 3 wires in an electrical junction box. The first scenario is for wall electrical junction boxes - Usually when there are 3 wires in a wall electrical box, it’s for a 3-way switch where you can wire it so that 2 switches at different locations control the same light fixture. The second scenario is for a ceiling electrical box. It is mostly used for ceiling fans, where one of the 3 wires is to be connected to the ceiling fan and the other to the light that may be present in the fan. The one remaining wire is the neutral wire. It might also be used for 2-circuit track lights or 2-circuit monorail lighting system. We suggest you consult with an electrician to find what purpose the red wire serves and how is it connected to your switches.
June 2nd, 2006 at 10:24 pm
Thanks, Kenneth, for your reply. I have concluded that the red wire was attached to the black and then hooked up to a ceiling fan, so I’ve removed the red wire completely and have successfully completed my project. Now I have an emergency plumbing problem which I must work at over the weekend. I am a woman trying to do all the stuff that my husband looked after and I must say I am becoming quite adept in the areas I never knew anything about!! The internet and “how to†books are great!
Enjoy the weekend and thanks for your prompt reply J