I have 3 black wires - 3 green and 3 red - but when I attach to light fitting - light comes on with switch off and when I switch it on it blows any ideas ?
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1Some more information is needed. Is this a new installation or is this an existing installation that you are changing? Are there more than one switch feeding this fixture? – mike65535 May 26 '18 at 19:21
1 Answers
Because wires are not color-coded for installer benefit. The wires are red and black, because manufactured cable is red and black. Actually the wires have a variety of functions.
The wires from supply are "always-hot" (red) and "neutral" (black).
The wires to the switch are "always-hot" (black) and "switched-hot" (red). The switch will short out these two wires, that is its job, so connecting it to always-hot and neutral will always blow the fuse.
The wires to the lamp are "switched-hot" (red) and "neutral" (black).
The purposes don't match the colors. I solve that with colored tape; say mark the switched-hot wires brown and the always-hots red. I always mark wires the same at both ends. Once you color-code everything, then you match color to color. It's the only way I work. But you do you.
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