Electric question re: deck step lights hook up.
So about 13 years ago a licensed electrician who I trust roughed in wiring for some future deck steps. His work also included the switch on the first floor. The plan was to get the deck built and I could then easily hook up some step lights. The deck got built but I never looked in the electric box in my basement marked; “Deck Step Lights” to see what I had -until now. Hopefully I will be able to down-load a photo here.
The issue for me is that I kind of thought that I’d see a hot, a common and a ground. (Life would be so easy). I do understand the switch requires some wires which are within this box as well as incoming power. Here’s the thing; when I check these wires with my volt meter I get nothing. It seems like no matter which wires I attach my probes to BK-WH, BK-Red, BK-Ground, etc. I get no volts showing. My meter works on other outlets, etc. and all my breakers are on. So, I’m doing something wrong with the wires? Assuming the photo got attached properly you can see what wires I have and note that the switch has a black wire going in the top and a white wire with black tape coming out the bottom.
I’d call the electrician that did the original work but he is no longer around.
Thank you for looking at my post.
Replies
What are the other wires in the box? Can you spread them out?
Is anything different if you operate the first floor switch he installed?
Have you looked in the box where the switch is?
Do you think he ran wires to the breaker box for this use, or tapped into another circuit?
UncleMike42,
Thanks for the reply. I didn't want to confuse things by showing all the wires in the box but there are some. The other two sets that I didn't show are for two 3-way switches that control my garage sconces and sconces for the deck wall lights. There are two corresponding 3-way switches in the garage for these lights. They all are working correctly and I put my meter on them just to see if I could get a voltage reading and I did get a normal number around 120V.
There is nothing different if/when I operate the single pole switch for the step lights. I get nothing either way which make me feel like there just isn't any power running around the step light's wires. The electrician did a good job of marking the sheaths (can't see in photo) for each of these light systems. BTW: I'm thinking the white wire with the black tape in the photo is the other end of the white wire with black tape that's on the bottom end of the switch. But that is just a guess. There is a solid, black, wire at the top end of the switch. I thought that if I put one probe from my volt meter on the black wire and the other probe on the ground that it would show a number. It doesn't, no matter if the switch is in the on or off position.
I really don't know if he ran wires all the way back to the breaker box or tapped into some other circuit but all my breakers are on. I wonder if it's possible that he wired up everything but didn't connect them inside the breaker box? I haven't opened up the breaker box at this point.
Thanks,
Roy
Are you sure he was licensed. I'm pretty sure that connecting a black and white together would violate code. That centre wire nut is a very poorly made connection. Bare wire is exposed. I don't think wire nuts are approved for a single wire and if they are, an orange connector is pretty large for a single 14 gauge wire. Should have at least been taped up to prevent it coming off.
You're going to have to trace the circuit wires with your Ohm meter and long lead wires. Try to find continuity. That's all I can suggest. Switch always goes on the hot wire.....
The modern LED deck lighting that I use is 12 volt. I simply installed a GFI circuit and a timer under the deck.
He was licensed in Ohio and Kentucky. He didn't put the wire nut on the white wire. It was not stripped but taped to itself. I wanted to make sure my voltage probe was getting good contact so I stripped it and then put a wire nut on it later. Bottom line is that I need to know which wires I should be connecting the new step lights wires to in this box and find out why the wires in the box don't seem to be alive.
Thanks,
Roy
Not too long ago it was ok to use a loop to a switch that used a black taped white wire. This is no longer to code, but will be found in many older installations.
He could have run wires and not hooked them up to the other end. either in the breaker box, or in another box.
easier if you can follow the non metalic cables to see where they go.
I agree that the black taped white wire likely matches the one in at the switch. this is common to use a switch with 14-2. If you are sure there is no voltage, you can verify this is the switch by setting your meter to continuity, or ohms, between the black taped white and black in the box, then operating the switch.
if your electrician also put the switches in the garage, (and where ever the other three way switches are) you might want to pull them out to see how they are wired, and if it compares.
are there only the two wires in the switch box? have you looked close enough to verify it is not a 3 way with a partner someplace else?
You might have to do some detective work, and figure out where every wire in every switch box goes and what it is there for.
Wondering why the 14-3 is in the box at all. (unless it is hooked to another switch)
This is set up for 3 or 4 way switches. It's possible that there are some other switches that aren't installed. Power may be absent because a switch is in the wrong posistion or because there is another box with an open loop. A circuit tracker would be a big help.
electrical code is national code so hopefully his knowledge is good for whatever state he's doing work in
my electrician has been running 3 conductors w/ground for various lights and fans - gives you another conductor at the junction box without having to run more wire - usually the red is there as an "extra"
if you haven't opened up your panel box, you'll probably find the wires inside not connected to anything - better to have them run in place without power than to have random "hot" wires not connected to anything
there's a good fairly inexpensive circuit tracing tool available at the big box stores
good luck
I'm sure this is a lame question but here goes. Will the tracing tool actually help me if the wires aren't hooked up in the breaker box? I haven't opened up the breaker box yet because with Coved-19 everywhere my wife hardly ever leaves the house and I know she'd freak-out if she knew I was getting in there.
I take it that looking inside the breaker box should be my next step.
Thanks again,
Roy
There are tracing tools that track circuits that are on. There are others that do this or track circuits using a seperate power supply (usually a 9v battery)
opening the box should probably be the next step - if you (or the wife) is concerned about pulling off the cover, be sure you have a good flashlight with you and turn off the main power (just tell the wife so she knows the internet will be going down...lol)
once you open the box, look for any "loose" wires that are not connected to anything, hopefully the colors match the wires in the outside box - connect them to each other and then check the resistance at the wires in the outside box - 0 resistance you've found the wires, infinite resistance, different wires
once you're done, put the cover back on the box and restore power at the main
having "said" all that, you're still may be better off getting an electrician to get it figured out-little too easy for things to go "bad" w/electricity if you're not familiar with it
also, If you go low voltage, you'll need a transformer to go from 120v ac to 12 v
good luck