Hey Guys,
I added two can lights at the last minute before my walls were finished and didn’t test them. (It’s a switch, fixture, fixture, switch configuration, power comes in to the first box.) Wired with 14/3. (I know, should have been 14/3 between switch boxes and 14/2 to the fixtures).
The bulbs were dim and then I remembered….. As my luck would have it, I messed and forgot to add a 14/2 between the lights. I can (more or less) get to the lights and run the wire, but I’m not sure where to connect the extra conductors.
Switch, fixture, fixture, switch diagrams seem hard to come by.
Otherwise, a Breaktimer would be my new best friend if they knew a way to do this without rewiring. I don’t think it’s possible but one never knows.
Anyway, thanks for any advice.
Edited 1/3/2006 4:35 pm ET by Corrib
Replies
You could have don't it with 14-4 (4 conductor with 1 neutral, not 14-2-2 which has 2 neutrals). However, that is hard to find.
My guess is that this is how it is wired with only one light.
http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/3way/3waypwswthrufx.htm
The right way to wire this is to have wired it like this for the one light. Then run a 14-2 connecting the 2 fixtures, the white and black fixture wires at each end.
If you have access from the attic then you run a 14-2 between the 2 fxitures.
Wire the ONE fixture as shown. Then at the other one just connect the 14-3 "in" to the "out" and not make any connections to the fixture.
Because of the small size of the boxes you might need to add j-boxes outside the fixture to do the wiring.
Bill,May I buy you a virutal beer for the help?So, all I have to do is connect the two fixtures black to black, white to white and grounds with 14/2? Am I correct or missing something?Thanks for your help. Next time, I'll be using 3 wire between the boxes, that's for sure....Thanks again!
Patrick
Edited 1/3/2006 5:31 pm ET by Corrib
"So, all I have to do is connect the two fixtures black to black, white to white and grounds with 14/2? "Yes, but at ONE end the fixture will also be connected to the appropriate wires from the 3-way switching.What you want is to have the 2 lights in parallel.
Thanks for the info, Bill.The new wire solved my problem. However, the NEC might want to the rethink what "acessible" means when it comes to can light j-boxes. The boxes were acessible, but fingers that are about as skinny as needle nose pliers would have been a great asset on this one...Just for my own info, what happens if the lights aren't accessible to run a wire in between? Are you stuck with a series circuit or is there another way to fix it?Patrick
Well serious won't work unless you can find 60 volt bulbs."what happens if the lights aren't accessible to run a wire in between?"Either you are limited to a single light or get out the DW saw.There are also things like flexable drill bits that will allow you to get wire in difficult places.http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/hvt049.asp
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/hvt057.asp
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/h00070.asp
Would running power into the first light (instead of the switch box) and connecting other lights and switches from there solve the problem also?Thanks, Bill. Maybe I can share some knowledge with you sometime in the near future.Patrick
Well the basic solution is the same, once you wire it for one light then you run 14-2 from that light to the next one.Bring power into that light will make the box more crowed.Here are the different options about where you can feed the power and where the load (light) is connected.http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/3way/index.htm