How To Wire A Ceiling Fixture?
I have a 3 wire Romex cable with 4 wires coming out of the ceiling(Black-Hot, White-Neutral, Red-Switch-leg, Bare Copper Ground). Light Fixture has Black-Hot, White-Neutral, Copper Ground.
I wired Black to Black, White to White and Ground to Ground. Can’t figure what to do with the Red-Switch-leg. Please advise.
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If the red is the switch leg, it should go to the black of the light, otherwise put a wire nut on it to safe it off. Safe off the spare wire.
This might be a circuit designed for a 3 way switch. Maybe the Red wire is a Hot wire. Check it for power with a meter. You probably have what they call 14/3 wire there. This type of wire is usually used for 3 way switches, or for two separate 15 amp circuits. Each circuit can use the same neutral wire.
Sometimes electricians use the 3 wire (black, red, white) cable from the switch to the light box as a convenience for adding a ceiling fan later. If you pull out the switch and see the red capped off, thats probably the case.
If that is the case, you can cap off the red and hook up the new light to the black, white, and ground.
It sounds like someone with a little forethought ran Romex for a future ceiling fan. The Black will power the fan or light, and the red will power the other one. Look in the switch box, and you should find both red and black in there. Cap off the red in both locations, and connect the others by color. You will be good to go. Hope this helps.