Comments on: How to Wire Two Floodlights to an In-LineLinc Relay http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/ Home improvement, maintenance and repair projects. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:34:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bob Jackson http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-2258 Bob Jackson Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:08:05 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-2258 This curious, with two flood lights controlled by the same light switch there should be three NM/2 cables with 9 conductors (i.e. 9 wires) total meeting at the junction box as so: <font face="Courier"> <pre> A) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box --- Floodlight +--- Floodlight </pre></font> You may have this configuration: <font face="Courier"><pre> B) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box ---Floodlight +--- Floodlight </pre></font> or possibly this if to splice together shorter sections of cable: <font face="Courier"><pre> C) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box --- Junction Box --- Floodlight +--- Floodlight </pre></font> <br /> First thing you need to do is figure out which wires are "hot", that is, which set of wires in the NM14/2 cable go back to the light switch and circuit breaker panel. Turn on the lights at the wall switch, then find the circuit breaker that feeds the lights. Turn that breaker off. Verify there's no power at the junction box with a voltage tester. Now separate the two cables; each cable has 3 wires - black (hot), neutral (white) and ground (bare copper). Cap the wire ends with an electrical nut for safety. Make sure the wires are not touching anything. Turn on the power at the circuit breaker, then identify which is the supply wire coming from the switch with the voltage tester. Check if one of the lights is on. If it's on, then you've got scenario B where the lights are wired into the swtich or scenario C where there's another junction box upstream of the one you're working on. I've seen some goober wiring jobs, so don't trust anything until you've traced it all out. Besides the wiring diagram above, this other diagram may be helpful: http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/02/16/finishing-a-basement-bathroom-part-14/ Be safe! This curious, with two flood lights controlled by the same light switch there should be three NM/2 cables with 9 conductors (i.e. 9 wires) total meeting at the junction box as so:

A) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box --- Floodlight
                                         +--- Floodlight


You may have this configuration:


B) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box ---Floodlight
                           +--- Floodlight


or possibly this if to splice together shorter sections of cable:


C) Circuit Breaker --- Switch --- Junction Box --- Junction Box --- Floodlight
                                          +--- Floodlight

First thing you need to do is figure out which wires are “hot”, that is, which set of wires in the NM14/2 cable go back to the light switch and circuit breaker panel. Turn on the lights at the wall switch, then find the circuit breaker that feeds the lights. Turn that breaker off. Verify there’s no power at the junction box with a voltage tester. Now separate the two cables; each cable has 3 wires – black (hot), neutral (white) and ground (bare copper). Cap the wire ends with an electrical nut for safety. Make sure the wires are not touching anything. Turn on the power at the circuit breaker, then identify which is the supply wire coming from the switch with the voltage tester. Check if one of the lights is on. If it’s on, then you’ve got scenario B where the lights are wired into the swtich or scenario C where there’s another junction box upstream of the one you’re working on. I’ve seen some goober wiring jobs, so don’t trust anything until you’ve traced it all out.

Besides the wiring diagram above, this other diagram may be helpful:
http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/02/16/finishing-a-basement-bathroom-part-14/

Be safe!

]]> By: carl http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-2257 carl Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:26 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-2257 hi i need a diagram of how to connect the wires to the light switch . this is what i have i have two sets of flood light on two corners of my house . i have 6 wires in the junction box 2 black,2 white, and 2 ground wires. i did not take this apart so i dont know which one goes to what screw the switch has .one black screw, one grenn screw and the other two at brass . if you could please help me out . thank you so much for your time and knowledge carl hi i need a diagram of how to connect the wires to the light switch . this is what i have i have two sets of flood light on two corners of my house . i have 6 wires in the junction box 2 black,2 white, and 2 ground wires. i did not take this apart so i dont know which one goes to what screw the switch has .one black screw, one grenn screw and the other two at brass . if you could please help me out . thank you so much for your time and knowledge

carl

]]> By: Bob Jackson http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-1963 Bob Jackson Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:08:14 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-1963 What I did is spliced into the existing house wiring by adding a new junction box mid-span. The original wire span is shown in this photo: <img src="http://www.handymanhowto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc02004.jpg" alt="Original Floodlight NM 14/2 Wire run inside the Attic" height="100%" width="100%" /> and the wires are label in this photo with the new junction box (see the original image in the article for zoomable view): <img src="http://www.handymanhowto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc02269.jpg" alt="New Electrical Junction Box with each Cable Identifed" height="100%" width="100%" /> A good overview of installing new electrical wiring for lights and switches is given in the Basement Bathroom Series - see <a href="http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/02/16/finishing-a-basement-bathroom-part-14/" rel="nofollow">Part 14</a>. Let me know if I answered your question. What I did is spliced into the existing house wiring by adding a new junction box mid-span. The original wire span is shown in this photo:

Original Floodlight NM 14/2 Wire run inside the Attic

and the wires are label in this photo with the new junction box (see the original image in the article for zoomable view):

New Electrical Junction Box with each Cable Identifed

A good overview of installing new electrical wiring for lights and switches is given in the Basement Bathroom Series – see Part 14.

Let me know if I answered your question.

]]> By: Joe http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-1962 Joe Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:28:18 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-1962 Hi, How about the part to show us how to connect the floodligth wiring to the house main box. Thank you Hi,

How about the part to show us how to connect the floodligth wiring to the house main box. Thank you

]]> By: Bob Jackson http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-1855 Bob Jackson Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:39:42 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-1855 A <a href="http://www.handymanhowto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/dsc01664.jpg" rel="nofollow">Romex NM cable clamp</a> could be threaded into the center hole as I did for the crawl space junction box in the <a href="http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/02/16/finishing-a-basement-bathroom-part-14/" rel="nofollow">Basement Bathroom wiring</a>. I didn't use a <a href="http://www.arlcatalog.com/NM%20Cable/NM%20Cable%20Connector.htm" rel="nofollow">cable clamp</a> here because the original floodlight installation - and all the others I've replaced on the house - omitted the NM cable clamp. A clamp isn't a bad idea, but you'd have to install it on the outside of the junction box and tighten the clamp screws before mounting the junction box to the soffit, while allowing for several inches of extra cable to make it all work. Maybe this is why a clamp wasn't used elsewhere by the original builder? > If so, isn’t a clamp only allowed to contain a single wire, not two? The product package will state the quantity and sizes of cable that will fit. For instance, the Gampak NM Cable Connector 3/8" - 1/2" (Mfg #: 45650) packages states: "Fits 1/2" Knockout, For <strong>One or Two</strong> 14-2 to 12-2 Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable and 0.29 to 0.45 Diameter Flexible Cords". A Romex NM cable clamp could be threaded into the center hole as I did for the crawl space junction box in the Basement Bathroom wiring. I didn’t use a cable clamp here because the original floodlight installation – and all the others I’ve replaced on the house – omitted the NM cable clamp. A clamp isn’t a bad idea, but you’d have to install it on the outside of the junction box and tighten the clamp screws before mounting the junction box to the soffit, while allowing for several inches of extra cable to make it all work. Maybe this is why a clamp wasn’t used elsewhere by the original builder?

> If so, isn’t a clamp only allowed to contain a single wire, not two?
The product package will state the quantity and sizes of cable that will fit. For instance, the Gampak NM Cable Connector 3/8″ – 1/2″ (Mfg #: 45650) packages states:

“Fits 1/2″ Knockout, For One or Two 14-2 to 12-2 Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable and 0.29 to 0.45 Diameter Flexible Cords”.

]]> By: Henk http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-1852 Henk Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:50:30 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-1852 Great article, thanks. Just wondering about one thing. Doesn't the wire to the floodlight round box need to have a clamp? If so, isn't a clamp only allowed to contain a single wire, not two? Great article, thanks.
Just wondering about one thing.
Doesn’t the wire to the floodlight round box need to have a clamp? If so, isn’t a clamp only allowed to contain a single wire, not two?

]]> By: How to Install a Floodlight - Part 1 | HandymanHowto.com http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-1337 How to Install a Floodlight - Part 1 | HandymanHowto.com Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:27:28 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-1337 [...] control. This floodlight is the “slaved” unit as shown in the wiring diagram in this related how to guide. Outdoor Weatherproof [...] [...] control. This floodlight is the “slaved” unit as shown in the wiring diagram in this related how to guide. Outdoor Weatherproof [...]

]]> By: BobMarche http://www.handymanhowto.com/2009/06/06/how-to-wire-two-floodlights-to-an-in-linelinc-relay/#comment-496 BobMarche Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:30:38 +0000 http://www.handymanhowto.com/?p=2181#comment-496 Thanks for the useful info. It's so interesting Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting

]]>