Can anyone offer guidance on how to install this ceiling light?
The orange wire you see is the switch leg, not a ground. Here are some tips for next time:
- Take photos of the original setup before you start disconnecting anything.
- It’s useful to own a multimeter and know how to use it.
- Avoid trimming the wires in the ceiling. If they’re too short, you’ll need to run new wires. You can coil any excess and tuck it into the box, as there should be about six inches of ‘whip’ by code.
- Your wires are stripped too long under the wire nuts, exposing bare copper. Consider using Wago lever wire nuts for easier handling.
@Bay
That was my error for not photographing the old setup. Thankfully, I haven’t trimmed the wires; it seems like a previous person may have. I’ll pick up some of those Wago lever wire nuts—thanks for the suggestion!
@Bay
Appreciate the advice! I’ve insulated any exposed wires and got bigger wire nuts to ensure everything is covered.
Just to note, I’m not a licensed electrician.
There seems to be some confusion: I see a copper ground wire on the fixture, not an orange one. That should connect to the bare copper wire in your ceiling box. If it’s attached behind the mounting plate, that’s okay.
The red wire is typically used as a switched hot, and from your photo, the black appears to be a pass-through to the next fixture in the circuit. Verify this by checking your switch. Be cautious with the red wire if the insulation looks damaged, as you mentioned.
@Axelle
Thanks for pointing that out! I’ll use electrical tape to address the insulation issue on the red wire and double-check everything is hooked up correctly.
Ainsley said:
@Axelle
Thanks for pointing that out! I’ll use electrical tape to address the insulation issue on the red wire and double-check everything is hooked up correctly.
All fixed now. Thank you for the helpful tips! I’ve made sure all wires are properly insulated.