3 way switch. 2 switches 2 recessed lights in the hall way

[jarrod.avalos]

About a year ago I had two recessed lights installed in the hallway. They w ere previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole out and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the newer flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped worki ng. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

Just a few weeks ago I called the actual makers of the recessed lighting an d they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual units i nternal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had something to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an easy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the conn ections with the new identical unit.

Switched off the power to the hallway, tested making sure I turned off the right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to g round on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, and as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual light. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which said it's in the neutral position after being popped.

I checked the other light and it is black to black / white to white / groun d to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since it for sure worked for a couple months.

[philoÂÂ]

Then check the wiring in the light fixture. It must be shorted.

[Steve F.]

Is this with the light switch on, or off?

[N8N]

were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole o ut and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the newe r flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped wor king. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual units internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had somethi ng to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an ea sy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the co nnections with the new identical unit.

e right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, a nd as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual ligh t. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which sa id it's in the neutral position after being popped.

und to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since i t for sure worked for a couple months.

you might need to look at the wiring at all boxes. May be that some of the white wires are actually hots and weren't marked with a tape ring like the y should be.

nate

[John Grabowski]

About a year ago I had two recessed lights installed in the hallway. They were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole out and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the newer flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped working. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

Just a few weeks ago I called the actual makers of the recessed lighting and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual units internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had something to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an easy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the connections with the new identical unit.

Switched off the power to the hallway, tested making sure I turned off the right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, and as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual light. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which said it's in the neutral position after being popped.

I checked the other light and it is black to black / white to white / ground to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since it for sure worked for a couple months.

*Occasionally I get a recessed light that has a defective thermal protector in it. Usually it shorts out immediately. Once I had one start blinking a few weeks after I left the job. I had to go back and replace the recessed light.

To have two recessed lights stop working at the same time is not likely an internal component problem. I would look for a bad splice somewhere in the circuit. Do you have juice at the switch?

You could wire up a pigtail socket to the wires that feed the recessed lights to make sure that you have electricity going to the lights.

[jarrod.avalos]

:

ey were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole out and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the ne wer flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped w orking. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

g and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual uni ts internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had somet hing to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an easy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the connections with the new identical unit.

the right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, and as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual li ght. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which said it's in the neutral position after being popped.

round to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since it for sure worked for a couple months.

he white wires are actually hots and weren't marked with a tape ring like t hey should be.

I checked the other light and it was correctly connected.

It "popped" when I switched it to on. (Or actually toggled it, I couldn't a ctually tell you if it was on or off, but I'm pretty sure it was when I swi tched it to ON)

"by boxes" you mean light fixtures? I was thinking I should check the switc hes... Is it possible for it to work for some time and then stop working af ter sometime if the wiring was switched?

Maybe a stupid question. But I'm not a 100% sure. When people say shorted.. Does this mean red on white or not wired correctly?

Thanks guys for the help !

[jarrod.avalos]

A pigtail socket? Is that a tester? Maybe I should get an electrician involved? I'm in the los angeles area, what is the average price for fix up work.

I did see I had power going to the sockets using a tester. and at the switch. I don't want to reset the breaker if there's some improper connections going on. Seems a tad dangerous.

[Don Phillipson]

This seems bad advice for someone "not too keen working with electricity." In the modern world, peace of mind costs hard cash, but employing a skilled tradesman (if you can find one) is usually worth the price.

[philoÂÂ]

If you do not know **exactly** what you are doing, calling an electrician will be a lot cheaper than the funeral.

[philoÂÂ]

I told the guy elsewhere that the price of an electrician will be less than that of a funeral.

This newsgroup is really for people who basically know how to do things but are looking for tips on how to /best/ do things.

[jarrod.avalos]

thanks again guys. unfortunately the original installer is not available an ymore. he moved away. So I'll have to find a new electrician. Hopefully thi s doesn't set me back too much since all of the stuff is cut out and the wi res are set up.

[Metspitzer]

I am interested in knowing how you talked the rep into sending you new fixtures and how they both ended up going bad the same day.

What I would do is just disconnect both fixtures and cap the wires and see if the clears the problem.

[jarrod.avalos]

y were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole out and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the new er flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped wo rking. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual unit s internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had someth ing to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an e asy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the c onnections with the new identical unit.

he right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground t o ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, and as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual lig ht. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which s aid it's in the neutral position after being popped.

ound to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since it for sure worked for a couple months.

the guy was willing to send me new ones with no hassle at all. I just calle d the "tech" support. and he easily sent me new ones. No Receipt, I told hi m my model number.. He even sent me the wrong two. Took it to my local hard ware shop and exchanged them for the correct ones, earning myself 60 bucks on a gift card.. lol. I didn't want to send them back and get new ones so f orth. But there might not be any pproblem with the units and I might be abl e to return both new ones and get a positive. This money I can spend on an electrician. ha

just cap them off and have them connected to nothing but the caps?

[Metspitzer]

Black to black. White to white and green/bare to bare is almost a slam dunk correct hookup.

What I would do is test one of the "bad" fixtures by hooking it up to

120v. I am not sure I would tell you to do that though.

If you only messed with one light, what I would do is just disconnect it temporary and cap the (house wiring to the fixture) black white with wire nuts.

Then I would reset the breaker and just see if it holds.

[philoÂÂ]

Well...unless you are totally sure of what you are doing, calling an electrician will be money well spent.

[jarrod.avalos]

e anymore. he moved away. So I'll have to find a new electrician. Hopefully this doesn't set me back too much since all of the stuff is cut out and th e wires are set up.

yeah.. I'll probably be calling an electrician soon.. eh.. Confusing. I wan na know the solution though.. So i'll be eyeing him ha

[Stormin Mormon]

Sure sounds like a problem with the socket, or the bulb. I had a case at church, where a light kept popping the breaker. Turned out to be a defective bulb. Did you try this with no bulb in the socket? Worth a try.

[Stormin Mormon]

I'd ask around, see if any of your friends are experienced with home wiring. Not everyone has every skill. I call for help when I get into some projects I can't handle. Wisdom isn't always manly, but it can be safer.

[trader4]

were previously regular lights, so I was told it was just cutting a hole o ut and hooking the wiring back up. He also changed the switches to the newe r flat switches. They worked for 2 months until one day it just stopped wor king. I'm not too keen working with electricity.

and they said that it "sounds" like a problem with both of the actual units internal components. Seemed a little weird to me, i thought it had somethi ng to do with the wiring. But I got the new units, thinking that will an ea sy fix on my side. Since all the wiring is set up I could just match the co nnections with the new identical unit.

I don't see on what basis any competent support person at a light manufacturer would tell you that the likely source of the intitial problem was that two of their light fixtures simultaneously failed after just a year. If two new fixtures on the same switch both stopped working, it's highly likely that there is some wiring problem.

e right breaker. Then installed white to white / black to black / ground to ground on one of the units, leaving the other one alone. Put a light in, a nd as soon as I switched on the breaker, I heard a pop near the actual ligh t. And the breaker popped to the middle position. Looked up online which sa id it's in the neutral position after being popped.

are you sure the breaker wasnt' already tripped *before* you started? Sometimes it's hard to tell, because they don't move all the way to off. If that's the case, the breaker may have been the cause of bot lights going off due to a short before you even started. Anything else on that same breaker that you know was working when the lights were out?

und to ground. I didn't think it could be a problem with the wiring since i t for sure worked for a couple months.

If something isn't done right, it certainly can work for some period of time, then fail. Wires not properly secured, comes loose, etc. Was this done by a licensed electrician? Given your inexperience with electricity, the only safe thing to do is call an electrician. It's probably not the fixtures and if you can return them, that may pay for the electrician. Unless it turns out the previous guy wasn't an electrician and did some half-assed install that needs to be done over.

[micky]

Did they trip the breaker that time they stopped working? Did you turn the lights to the off position, even though they weren't on, then reset the breaker and just not turn those lights on again?

If not, what did happen then?

Was the maker of the fixture saying there had been a problem with the lights for a while? (Maybe this doesn't matter much since they said there was a problem with yours.)

The two lights are meant to go on at the same time, right?

So if there were a short in the light you did NOT change, that would account for the breaker tripping this last time.

If I were in your shoes, I'd disconnect the black wire going to the black wire of that second light. I'd put a wire nut on each disconnected wire, in case they end up being left unconnected.

Then I'd reset the breaker and see if the one you replaced works.

If it does, I'd replace the second one like you did the first.

If it doesn't, I guess I'd recommend an electrician.

Exactly.

But a short could have developed in one or both lights. Most likely only one, and not the one you replaced, if the one you didn't replace still has a short.

If replacing the second one fixes things, there's a good chance the first one you removed was okay, This might matter if you still have it.