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I have a red, white, white, and copper wire in the ceiling.

 
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  • Answered by:electrifier
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Customer Question

I have a red, white, white, and copper wire in the ceiling. The copper is grounded. I am trying to hook up a light fixture that has 2 same color wiring on the new light fixture. What am I conected to what?

 

Optional Information:
Make: Nadair
Model: suspend lamp

Already Tried:
most combinations

Submitted: 1159 days and 9 hours ago.
Category: Electrical
Value: $9
Status: CLOSED
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Expert:  electrifier replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

What was connected to the ceiling box before?
What color are the 2 wires in the new fixture?
Is one of the fixture wires ribbed?

Customer replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

A light fixture, 2 clear wires from the new light fixture and a copper wire, no none of the fixture wires are ribbed

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Expert:  electrifier replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

Does the ceiling box have conduit or cables that contain these wires?
Is it correct that you have 1 red and 2 white wires, no other colors?

Customer replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

whats the difference? it has red, white, and black coated wires, and a copper wire, ... the light turns on from 2 switches

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Expert:  electrifier replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

First you had red, white and white wires, now it's red, white and black. Which is it?
The difference is important. If it wasn't I would not have asked the question.
Before I tell you to connect the 2 white wires together I need this information. You are my eyes on this. I can not see your light box and am depending on answers to my questions with no mistakes. If you have a black wire with white paint on it from painting the ceiling I must be told the wire is black, not white.
Again what wires are in the ceiling box for the light?
Is it conduit or are they in a cable or 2 cables?

Customer replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

I have red, white and black wires coming from the ceiling. conduit

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Expert:  electrifier replied1159 days and 9 hours ago.

copper is obviously the grounding wire for grounding your fixture.
White is the neutral wire and goes to either of the wires in the fixture.
I would guess black is hot all the time and red is switched so if you connect the other wire to the red then try the switch and see if it works. If not let me know. Then we will try the black wire. Put a wirenut on the wire not used for anything so it does not short out anyplace.

Customer replied1159 days and 8 hours ago.

the black and white connected to the fixture causes the light to stay on...cannot shut the light off when I turn off the switch.

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Expert:  electrifier replied1159 days and 4 hours ago.

What happened when you tried the red and white wires? Did the switch work then?

 
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