Have You Ever Wondered Why

Started by Solar, October 12, 2010, 12:31:20 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

CaliforniaCatholic

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 06:49:56 AM
How old is that thing?
I can't tell much from looking at the switch, the light would be more important.
IF the light is nothing special, or not part of a shared connection, it probably doesn't matter.

Its older than freekin' dirt. It was just a standard glass ball lamp on the side of the wall. What you see is what the bulb screwed into. My little notes show which colored wire was screwed in where.

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 06:49:56 AM
Verify the light is up to code and wired normally, 110 volts, etc, if so just install the switch you like.
Oh, and the wiring in the house wouldn't have cloth wrapping around it, would it?

No cloth. Blue and White were regular rubber shielding, and the copper wire had NO covering.

CaliforniaCatholic

Quote from: CaliforniaCatholic on May 26, 2011, 07:51:33 AM
QuoteHow old is that thing?
I can't tell much from looking at the switch, the light would be more important.
IF the light is nothing special, or not part of a shared connection, it probably doesn't matter.
Its older than freekin' dirt. It was just a standard glass ball lamp on the side of the wall. What you see is what the bulb screwed into. My little notes show which colored wire was screwed in where.
 
QuoteVerify the light is up to code and wired normally, 110 volts, etc, if so just install the switch you like.
Oh, and the wiring in the house wouldn't have cloth wrapping around it, would it?
No cloth. Blue and White were regular rubber shielding, and the copper wire had NO covering.






Solar

Quote from: CaliforniaCatholic on May 26, 2011, 07:51:33 AM

Its older than freekin' dirt. It was just a standard glass ball lamp on the side of the wall. What you see is what the bulb screwed into. My little notes show which colored wire was screwed in where.
 
No cloth. Blue and White were regular rubber shielding, and the copper wire had NO covering.
Oh so the pic is the Edison base the bulb screws into, not the switch?

My guess it was possibly part of an old three way light system.
Two switches controlling one light possibly?
I really don't know, unless it was some kind of early idea for grounding.
You never know where the light originated from, possibly Military surplus, and they had some strange requirements, requests they put on manufacturers.

I'd just replace it and the switch, they are dirt cheap anyway.
Official Trump Cult Member

#WWG1WGA

Q PATRIOT!!!

CaliforniaCatholic

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 08:01:09 AM
Oh so the pic is the Edison base the bulb screws into, not the switch?

Yes. Look at the post again, which I edited

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 08:01:09 AM
Two switches controlling one light possibly?

No. Its a bathroom light. Very simple.

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 08:01:09 AM
I really don't know, unless it was some kind of early idea for grounding.

Thats what I think

QuoteI'd just replace it and the switch, they are dirt cheap anyway.

No. The wall switch is fine. It was the lamp that was shorting out.

Solar

OK, I just reread your original post, apparently they installed a ground on the socket back then.
Todays Edison socket doesn't have a ground attached to the socket, but rather the housing of the light.
If it helps, the center bottom of the female socket, is the hot lead, the wall is the neutral/ground.
The bare wire is the main ground.
As to installing a new light, check the polarity of the circuit first before installing, just a precaution.
Make sure hot is hot, and not reversed, it does happen in older homes, because the light bulb worked regardless.
Todays CFL compact fluorescent are polarity sensitive and either won't work, draw too much power, catch fire.
A cheap volt meter will do, about twelve bucks.
Official Trump Cult Member

#WWG1WGA

Q PATRIOT!!!

CaliforniaCatholic

Quote from: Solar on May 26, 2011, 08:10:32 AM
OK, I just reread your original post, apparently they installed a ground on the socket back then.
Todays Edison socket doesn't have a ground attached to the socket, but rather the housing of the light.
If it helps, the center bottom of the female socket, is the hot lead, the wall is the neutral/ground.
The bare wire is the main ground.
As to installing a new light, check the polarity of the circuit first before installing, just a precaution.
Make sure hot is hot, and not reversed, it does happen in older homes, because the light bulb worked regardless.
Todays CFL compact fluorescent are polarity sensitive and either won't work, draw too much power, catch fire.
A cheap volt meter will do, about twelve bucks.

Okay. So I'll hook up the white wire as the negative and the blue wire as the positive. But what should I do with the copper one? Maybe roll it up in a ball and seal it with a big gobb of electrical tape?

Solar

Quote from: CaliforniaCatholic on May 26, 2011, 08:20:16 AM

Okay. So I'll hook up the white wire as the negative and the blue wire as the positive. But what should I do with the copper one? Maybe roll it up in a ball and seal it with a big gobb of electrical tape?
Thats why I suggested a volt meter, I can't say for certain which wire is hot, and no electrician would simply assume one or the other.
They too would test it first.

But with that said, yes, you can eliminate the bare copper ground wire.

You can always go to the breaker box if you know for certain which breaker controls the light and check to make sure it is the blue wire connected to the breaker.

Hope that helped.
Official Trump Cult Member

#WWG1WGA

Q PATRIOT!!!


tbone0106

What concerns me is the fact that the picture shows no physical shielding between the terminal for the bare copper wire and the other terminals. Blue? Hey, are you in the U.S.?

My guess is it's a kit light that included the box and some wire. Blue=hot, white=neutral, bare=ground.

My suggestion: trash it and get a new light fixture.