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Pretty simple circuit as far as I can tell. I've got a 110 circuit that has a bunch of newer electronic ballast fluorescent lights on it that has been operating fine for years. When I came home the other day, the circuit was tripped at the breaker and when I tried to reset the breaker, I could not as it would immediately "trip". I first thought the breaker was bad so I replaced that with no luck. Looking at some of the T-8 bulbs I do see some that appear to have black rings inside the glass at the end of the bulb which might be just normal wear.
I thought possibly the switch failed so I removed the switch to the light which I would have thought would have interrupted power to the lights but still, the breaker will not reset. I thought possibly one of the ballasts may have failed and shorted but with the switch removed, I would think there would be no power going to the lights.
Any thoughts on what I else can check to see what might be causing this problem??? I am a "junior" when it comes to electric and I have a pro lined up to come see me..
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Removing the switch will cut power to the lights....unless someone is breaking the neutral at the switch and not the hot.
Not the way it's supposed to be wired.
Ed
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I think you need to remove the light switch, and disconnect the neutral at the switch box (unless it's just a switch leg), and reset the breaker. If it trips, it's between the switch and the breaker (obviously). If not, it's downstream, though as already pointed out, the hot should be switched, not the neutral. But if it's just a switch leg, something may (is) not right in the box where it originates, or the hot line from there to the switch.
Something funny going on there, assuming it's as I'm interpreting what you're saying.
Tom
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Just turning the switch off would take the lights out of the equation. But being you have the switch completely out you know it is not the lights. There must be something else on that circuit and you need to find it. Or maybe a a mouse ate through the insulation. What is the circuit wired with?? Romex??? Wirenut may have come off causing a short. Is this a shared 3 wire circuit?? 2 hots and a shared neutral?
John T.
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(10-19-2016, 10:08 AM)JTTHECLOCKMAN Wrote: Just turning the switch off would take the lights out of the equation. But being you have the switch completely out you know it is not the lights. There must be something else on that circuit and you need to find it. Or maybe a a mouse ate through the insulation. What is the circuit wired with?? Romex??? Wirenut may have come off causing a short. Is this a shared 3 wire circuit?? 2 hots and a shared neutral?
Just turning off the switch will not take the lights out of the picture, IF it was installed that the switch broke the neutral instead of the hot lead, as it should be.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. RMB
The SO asked me today, "what are you going to do to day"? I said "nothing". She said, "that's what you did yesterday"! Me, "Yes love, but I was not finished yet"!!!!!!!!
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10-19-2016, 11:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-19-2016, 11:51 AM by JTTHECLOCKMAN.)
(10-19-2016, 10:27 AM)MikeBob Wrote: Just turning off the switch will not take the lights out of the picture, IF it was installed that the switch broke the neutral instead of the hot lead, as it should be.
Who breaks the neutral on a switch???? If that is the case then the whole house is suspect because they do not know what else was done haphazard. What color wires are on the switch?? Are all lights fluorescent?? I bet there are other things on that circuit??
John T.
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(10-19-2016, 11:41 AM)JTTHECLOCKMAN Wrote: Who breaks the neutral on a switch???? If that is the case then the whole house is suspect because they do not know what else was done haphazard. What color wires are on the switch?? Are all lights fluorescent?? I bet there are other things on that circuit??
I have seen it done!! Usually a home owner adding something them selves.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. RMB
The SO asked me today, "what are you going to do to day"? I said "nothing". She said, "that's what you did yesterday"! Me, "Yes love, but I was not finished yet"!!!!!!!!
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(10-19-2016, 12:23 PM)MikeBob Wrote: I have seen it done!! Usually a home owner adding something them selves.
I have seen it done too but there again like all these questions alot of information left out and we all can guess. Who wired the lites?? How long ago were they installed. Were these lites converted to those ballasts?? Who did the work?? I know a white wire can be hot because that is where the old addage came from. A neutral is always white but a white is not always a neutral. It pays to know that when in the trade. It comes into play many times with switches. But if there are 2 whites on that switch then there is a problem. A short is causing the breaker to trip and now need to find where. If it was working before what is the last thing the OP did before they tripped and start there.
John T.
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guys, thanks for all the questions and from the number of good questions that are coming up, it could be several issues. It is obvious I need someone who has more time and experience. I hope to have my guy coming over tomorrow to take a look at this. thanks for all the help
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Just remember that the NEC used to require the white conductor of a switch leg to be the hot conductor, with the switched conductor being the the black. Taping or coloring the white wasn't required in that case, since it was wire nutted to the supply black. It was still the hot that was switched, as always, but the colors were 'backwards'.
I don't believe switch legs are even allowed any more, unless neutral is also brought into the switch box, which kind of isn't a switch leg anymore.
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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