Hopefully a quick wiring question for the experts.
For some reason when my basement was wired when it was built, one single light in a storage area was ran on the circuit for the main floor plugs in the sitting room. The light is on a pull cord. I want it to be on a switch.
From the panel, a 14/2 wire is ran to the light, connected with a standard pigtail setup, then power goes out of the light box to power the 8 or 10 or howevermany plugs upstairs.
I have installed a switch, and ran a 14/2 wire to the light box, just roughed-in for now. I want the switch to operate the light, and not affect the plugs downstream. I dont know how to do this.
What I am looking for is the connection mapping for inside the light box.
I have attached a picture for the visual learners like myself.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn69/sgolko/ElectricalQuestion.jpg

I realize that taking the power to the switch, then to the light, then to the plugs would be the easiest way to do it, but i have already drywalled over the switch, thinking that this would be an easy tie in. So i dont want to have to take my drywall off. I'm thinking that some sort of double-pig-tail might be needed or something, but am nowhere near electrical-minded enough to think this one through.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Inside the light fixture, you'll leave the Neutral (white) as-is.

Then, you remove the pigtailed Hot (black) connection from the light fixture, and instead connect one of the wires from the switch to the fixture. It doesn't matter which one, but for this example I'm going to use White. So you'll connect the White wire from the switch to the light fixture.

You'll then add the black wire from the light fixture into the wire nut connecting the other two Hot (black) wires. So you'll still have 3 wires in that wire nut, since you have removed the pigtailed wire completely.

Then, at the switch, you simply connect the black and white wires to the terminals.

Sorry, I don't have time to draw something up for you, but I'll do my best to describe how it's done....

There will be 3 wires entering your light fixture box. One from the panel. One from the light switch, and one continuing on to the upstairs recepticles.

-group the black wire from the panel and the one going to the upstairs plugs with the white wire going to your switch box. Put a wire nut on it and tuck it away.

-group the white wire from the panel and the one going to the upstairs plugs with the white wire for your light fixture. Put a wire nut on it and tuck it away.

-group the black wire from the switch box with the black for your light fixture. Put a wire nut on it and...you get the idea

-group all of the bare copper wires together making sure one of them twists around the ground screw at the back of the box. Wire nut....blah blah blah.

Your switch will now control your light without effecting the upstairs plugs. When you connect your switch make sure to have the white connected to the top screw, and the bottom screw connected to the black. The black wire is your load wire. The load is always located on the bottom of a switching device {eg: your switch :)}

later

Inside the light fixture, you'll leave the Neutral (white) as-is.

Then, you remove the pigtailed Hot (black) connection from the light fixture, and instead connect one of the wires from the switch to the fixture. It doesn't matter which one, but for this example I'm going to use White. So you'll connect the White wire from the switch to the light fixture.

You'll then add the black wire from the light fixture into the wire nut connecting the other two Hot (black) wires. So you'll still have 3 wires in that wire nut, since you have removed the pigtailed wire completely.

Then, at the switch, you simply connect the black and white wires to the terminals.

You also should paint the ends of the white wire black (use a flow tip pen) so that anyone who looks at the wiring in the future will know that the white wire is not a neutral but 'hot'!

Inside the light fixture, you'll leave the Neutral (white) as-is.

Then, you remove the pigtailed Hot (black) connection from the light fixture, and instead connect one of the wires from the switch to the fixture. It doesn't matter which one, but for this example I'm going to use White. So you'll connect the White wire from the switch to the light fixture.

You'll then add the black wire from the light fixture into the wire nut connecting the other two Hot (black) wires. So you'll still have 3 wires in that wire nut, since you have removed the pigtailed wire completely.

Then, at the switch, you simply connect the black and white wires to the terminals.

You do not connect the switch this way. Your switched "hot" wire from your switch box to the light should be black in colour. It is against code to switch a neutral. Which isn't what you're actually doing, however when an electrician is working in your light box or the switch box it's an assumed standard to follow the steps I posted earlier.

My license is only good in Canada, but trust me on this one. It matters how you hook it up.

*just noticed you're from Cdn. Hook it up the way I described...it's the way it's done North of the border. :)

You also should paint the ends of the white wire black (use a flow tip pen) so that anyone who looks at the wiring in the future will know that the white wire is not a neutral but 'hot'!

If you do it the correct way, you won't have to paint anything. :rolleyes:

You do not connect the switch this way. Your switched "hot" wire from your switch box to the light should be black in colour. It is against code to switch a neutral. Which isn't what you're actually doing, however when an electrician is working in your light box or the switch box it's an assumed standard to follow the steps I posted earlier.

My license is only good in Canada, but trust me on this one. It matters how you hook it up.

I would trust smokinghot's explanation then. I do not know what the codes require, only how to make the electricity go in the right direction.

Sorry, I don't have time to draw something up for you, but I'll do my best to describe how it's done....

There will be 3 wires entering your light fixture box. One from the panel. One from the light switch, and one continuing on to the upstairs recepticles.

-group the black wire from the panel and the one going to the upstairs plugs with the white wire going to your switch box. Put a wire nut on it and tuck it away.

-group the white wire from the panel and the one going to the upstairs plugs with the white wire for your light fixture. Put a wire nut on it and tuck it away.

-group the black wire from the switch box with the black for your light fixture. Put a wire nut on it and...you get the idea

-group all of the bare copper wires together making sure one of them twists around the ground screw at the back of the box. Wire nut....blah blah blah.

Your switch will now control your light without effecting the upstairs plugs. When you connect your switch make sure to have the white connected to the top screw, and the bottom screw connected to the black. The black wire is your load wire. The load is always located on the bottom of a switching device {eg: your switch :)}

later

Thanks you guys very much. I actually understood what both of you said!!
Only question is about the bolded statement above. Is this the same thing as saying connect the black wire from the switch to the fixture? Is there a need to pigtail a single wire?

If you do it the correct way, you won't have to paint anything. :rolleyes:

Unless you are in the US, where 200.7(c)(2) would require you to do so.

Thanks you guys very much. I actually understood what both of you said!!
Only question is about the bolded statement above. Is this the same thing as saying connect the black wire from the switch to the fixture? Is there a need to pigtail a single wire?

Yep, same thing. Black from switch to black from fixture.

Unless you are in the US, where 200.7(c)(2) would require you to do so.

Depending if your municipality had adopted the rule...right..? :p

As I always say... I don't knock anyone for being extra safe but why you would mark the neutral black is a little confusing to me. If it's in a switch box and there's only two wires, if done properly, you know the white is a constant hot. If you open a fixture box and see a white under a group of hots...dollars to donuts...it's going to be a hot.

If both appear to be black, how do you know which one is the switched line, and the other hot at the switch location..? :confused:

Yep, same thing. Black from switch to black from fixture.

Thanks again!

As I always say... I don't knock anyone for being extra safe but why you would mark the neutral black is a little confusing to me. If it's in a switch box and there's only two wires, if done properly, you know the white is a constant hot. If you open a fixture box and see a white under a group of hots...dollars to donuts...it's going to be a hot.


If you take off the wire nuts to replace the fixture, how do you know which "white" to put with the hots if it's not properly painted/Sharpied black? :confused:

--Jim

If you take off the wire nuts to replace the fixture, how do you know which "white" to put with the hots if it's not properly painted/Sharpied black? :confused:

--Jim

Simple... You would have to undo two wire nuts. One will be the neutral connection for the fixture, which will be white, and connected to the other grouping of whites. The other will be the black which will be connected to the black that comes from the switch box. Simple huh..? ;)

I know what your next post will say, so I'll beat you to the punch. You know which wire is coming from the switch box because the white coming from that 14/2 will be grouped with the black hots. And no...you will not have to remove that wire nut to change fixtures.

It's fool proof if you except the way it should be done, and make it common practise. ;) Nice try though...lol

What happens in the world of sharpie painted wire after 10 or so years when the markings aren't what they used to be...?

Oh and you didn't answer my question about being able to tell what wire is what if they are all "painted" the same colour.... :p Or were you just trying to arguementative...:eek:..?