how to electrocute myself in one easy step?

Bambamski

ok changing the lights out in our kitchen and i'm confused... Trust me it doesn't take much...

putting in some new pendent lights and the old ones have some funky box thing wiring in the top?

I was expecting a black wire and a white wire and the ground wire.

Anyone familiar with what this is?

Bambamski · Posted: Apr 19, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject:

ok

that was a bit premature. again no surprise

There's a black and White wire tucked up in the box. Now the new light I'm putting in. There's no white wire black wire. just two wires and the ground. Does it matter which one I attach to the white or black connector?

pyrocasto · Posted: Apr 19, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject:

Nope. Typically you can swith the two around either way. Alternating current is neato about that. Hence, think of the many plugs you can plug in either direction and still work fine.

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

Looks like a bomb tucked into the box. Are any of your relatives taliban or have ties to Afghanistan?

Lop · Posted: Apr 19, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject:

Possibly remote for lights. Light bulbs are non polar anyway ac or dc

Faust · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 20 May 2005 Posts: 1496

Connect the wires and see if it lights up Idea

nmballa · Posted: Apr 19, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject:

Did you have fluorescent bulbs in there? Almost looks like a ballast of some sort. What does the label say?

Bambamski · Posted: Apr 19, 2010 6:25 pm Post subject:

low flow adaptor kind of thing I guess.

the new lights are on and the house hasn't burnt down yet....

Nauty · Addict Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 827 City: Lake Dallas

It's either a remote module or a low voltage transformer. What type of light fixture was there? If it was a halogen pendant type of fixture then it's probably a low voltage transformer. If so, a regular incandescent fixture will not work with it; you'll need to remove it first.

fish6942 · Addict Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 603

It does matter to some extent which wire on the fixture you connect to the hot (black) wire. If the fixture takes screw in type bulbs you'll want to connect the hot wire to the fixture wire that goes to the base (nub) of the bulb. If you connect it the other way then the outer ring of the fixture and bulb will be hot when the switch is on. Not a big deal until you go to change out a burnt out bulb with the switch still on and you touch the ring. Shocked