Bathroom light fixture question

[Anna]

Don't sweat it. Faucets are gravy. There will be shutoffs under your sink and the hoses that connect from there to the faucet have thick rubber seals. No worries about teflon tape or anything. Simple remove and replace. Just pick up one of the plumbers wrenches at the hardware store to make connection and disconnection a lot easier. I also find it helps to put something down there to prop your head on. My neck gets sore from laying on my back under a sink or something and holding all the weight of my overgrown cranium up.

Jon, is it necessary to remove/replace the pop-up drain thing or can I use the old one with the new fixture? From what I've read, removing the pop-up drain is probably the hardest part of the process.

[iceman61]

David, how can power get to the light fixture if the switch is off? I'm just wondering because I thought the circuit has to be closed in order to power the light. If the switch is off, then the circuit is open. Unless I'm mistaken, in which case I'm back to where I was in being scared of doing electrical stuff.

One way to wire a light fixture is to run the power to the switch, & then up to the light. In this case the power to the light IS off when the switch is off.

Another way is to run the power to the light fixture then run the power thru one wire to the switch & back up from the switch to the light. In this case the power is still in the light fixture no matter what position the switch is in. This way usually requires less wire (and less money) so it is done quite often.

[atgcpaul]

Looks like you got pretty lucky. The last one of these I replaced, the builders
painted around the box and I had a bear of a time trying to match the paint.
Looks like you only have to fill two holes!

Looks good!

Paul

[rnelson0]

How I did not get even a little nip of electricity is beyond me. I was very dazed for a moment

Uh. If you were dazed, you got hit with electricity. Electricity causes your muscles to fire, it does not necessarily through you across a room. It's entirely possible to take a good hit and be standing in the same place a second later with no clear recollection of the incident. No wonder your father wanted to kill someone - they almost killed you!

This way usually requires less wire (and less money) so it is done quite often.

In most places it is against code to feed electricity top-down. Doesn't mean that it's not done - an inspector doesn't have x-ray vision after all - but if you paid for the work and you determine this happened, then definitely have a heart-to-heart with your electrician.

Another similar method is to use the fixture as a junction box for another unrelated wire on a different breaker or switch. You can turn off the breaker and switch, disconnect your wires, lick your fingers even and touch the wires - no problem. Then you stick your hand in the box to move the ground wire out of the way and ZAP you accidentally touch that other wire that is still live and the sheathing was removed below the cap.

I'm hoping to have the same effect on electrical work. Soon. I hope.

If it helps, bad electrical wiring is more likely to throw you across the room, give you a good jolt, or maybe cause a small burn than to lose an appendage. I don't know where you rank these kinds of risks, but you can fly across the room 50 times but you only have one left thumb to lose.

[crokett]

David, how can power get to the light fixture if the switch is off?

...is to run the power to the light fixture then run the power thru one wire to the switch & back up from the switch to the light.

What he said. In this case the power comes in to the light, then goes down to the switch before going back to the breaker box and thence to the 'lectric co. If the switch is open, no electricity can flow so the light is off. If the switch is closed, then the light is on. HOWEVER if the switch is open, you can still close the circut behind it at the light by grabbing a hot wire, and then you get zapped.

So I always just turn the breaker off. Then I don't have to worry either way.

[Anna]

One way to wire a light fixture is to run the power to the switch, & then up to the light. In this case the power to the light IS off when the switch is off.

Another way is to run the power to the light fixture then run the power thru one wire to the switch & back up from the switch to the light. In this case the power is still in the light fixture no matter what position the switch is in. This way usually requires less wire (and less money) so it is done quite often.

That's definitely something I didn't know. Thanks. I think I'll be turning the breakers off in any future wiring projects.

If it helps, bad electrical wiring is more likely to throw you across the room, give you a good jolt, or maybe cause a small burn than to lose an appendage. I don't know where you rank these kinds of risks, but you can fly across the room 50 times but you only have one left thumb to lose.

I really meant that I hope I get over my fear of dealing with electrical stuff the way I did with power tools. I always imagine the worst things can happen when something is unfamiliar. Once I start becoming familiar with it, whether it's power tools or working with electricity, then my confidence increases which also increases the chance that I'll be using that particular tool/doing that particular project again. It's just that initial hump I have to get over.

[Tom Slick]

For anyone who is dealing with electrical wiring, even basic fixture replacement, you should own one of these


http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/Fl...keUnitedStates

It tells you if the circuit is hot and is considered a basic safety device. all you do is hold it on the wire or stick it into the receptacle and it lights up and beeps if it is hot. it costs $15 for a really nice one at HD or Lowes. it works great for trouble shooting and tracing circuits also.

[Anna]

For anyone who is dealing with electrical wiring, even basic fixture replacement, you should own one of these

Thanks for that tip, Tom. I just found a similar one on Amazon and am ordering that now.

[mschrank]

Thanks for that tip, Tom. I just found a similar one on Amazon and am ordering that now.

I'm glad someone mentioned getting one of these. I bought one before doing my remodel and was glad I did. Be aware that while they are "non-contact," it won't beep/light up unless the tip is very close to the hot wire (usually the black one). I've held mine on the neutral side of the romex and got nothing, then on the other side...only 1/2" away, it beeps. Maybe I have a cheap one?

Also, make sure the battery isn't dead...that's how I got the BANG! I mentioned above. Stick it next to a known hot line to test.

[Anna]

Also, make sure the battery isn't dead...that's how I got the BANG! I mentioned above. Stick it next to a known hot line to test.

The one I ordered is supposed to have a self-diagnostic step where it makes sure the battery is working. When I read that part in the specs, I thought it's one of those forehead-slapping realizations where a false negative could lead to disastrous results, as you can attest to.

[mineengineer]

More like false positives

I have used several of those over the years and sometimes if a dead wire runs parrallell to a live wire it will test as a false positive. I was wiring a workshop a few years ago that did not have any power ran to it yet and was messing around with my ac voltage detector and gor some false positives because a high tension power line was about 75 ft away and anything long and metal in the place would make it beep.

[crokett]

I have the little one with 2 leads and a light. If the light is on, there is power. No batteries false positives or anything else to worry about.