Any electricians in the house?

[Wild Deuce]

Here I go again asking for help ...

How do I identify the hot and neutral wires in a electrical fixture box when all the wires are the same type and color (white)? When I pulled the old light fixture, there was a single wire connected to a single wire on the fixture and there were two wires connected together that connected to the other single wire on the fixture. It's one of two hallway light fixtures controlled by a switch at either end of the hall (two switches) ... if that helps.

The new fixture actually has the prerequisite black, white, and bare (ground) wires. Just want to get this right.

 

[eldirector]

So, it is a fixture controlled by a 3-way switch?

Pictures, text, and video of how it is wired:
Video on how to wire a three way switch

 

[Ericpwp]

https://www.google.com/search?q=3+w...2&ved=0ahUKEwiwpOjM_7vNAhVeE1IKHfmfDukQsAQIGw

It depends on where the power comes in on the circuit.

 

[CZB1962]

Assuming the box has a ground wire you can read between the unknown conductor an ground. Hot will read 120V while neutral will read nothing. Of course you have to flip the switch to make sure it is not a switch leg which is the wire that comes from the switch and sends power to the light when on.

 

[Wild Deuce]

Assuming the box has a ground wire you can read between the unknown conductor an ground. Hot will read 120V while neutral will read nothing. Of course you have to flip the switch to make sure it is not a switch leg which is the wire that comes from the switch and sends power to the light when on.

Sooo ...

1. Turn the breaker back on.

2. Turn on one of the switches to supply power to the circuit. (Confirmed by the other fixture on the circuit going on.)

3. Test between ground and the unknown conductors to find the hot?

 

[CZB1962]

Sooo ...

1. Turn the breaker back on.

2. Turn on one of the switches to supply power to the circuit. (Confirmed by the other fixture on the circuit going on.)

3. Test between ground and the unknown conductors to find the hot?

Basically yes. You are actually looking for the switch leg and not really the hot. It would not harm anything if you used the hot instead of a switch leg except you light would always stay on. Obviously you don't want that but you won't blow anything up.

Be careful when working around live circuits. Don't use an aluminum ladder for obvious reasons. Some people think "it's only 110" but 110 will kill you just as dead. In some cases it is worse that higher voltages because it tend to set the heart into ventricular fibrillation which CPR does not fix.


Based on what you are describing, I would bet the two wires tied together are neutrals and the lone wire is the switch leg, but that's just a guess.

 

[Wild Deuce]

Basically yes. You are actually looking for the switch leg and not really the hot. It would not harm anything if you used the hot instead of a switch leg except you light would always stay on. Obviously you don't want that but you won't blow anything up.

Be careful when working around live circuits. Don't use an aluminum ladder for obvious reasons. Some people think "it's only 110" but 110 will kill you just as dead. In some cases it is worse that higher voltages because it tend to set the heart into ventricular fibrillation which CPR does not fix.


Based on what you are describing, I would bet the two wires tied together are neutrals and the lone wire is the switch leg, but that's just a guess.

I was prepping everything before switching the breaker back on when I noticed something. Seems that the box might have been pre-wired and left open when they sprayed the initial coat of primer (when the house was built). Looking at the base of the lone wire where it comes out of the box, I see some yellow. I scraped a little bit on the wire and I see some more yellow. The two connected wires are white all the way. I'm thinking that lone, painted-over, yellow wire is the hot ... sorry, switch leg.

If I don't post again shortly ... call an ambulance.

 

[Wild Deuce]

Success! Thanks, INGO!