I am replacing 2 old pendant lights over a kitchen island. The new fixtures only have 2 black wires- not labeled.
The first box coming out of the ceiling has two sets of wires (= 2 white wires and 2 black wires). The second box in the ceiling only has one set of wires (= 1 white wire and 1 black wire).
The first way I tried to install was one black/black, one black/white on the double wire box and capped the extra white and black separately, and black/black and black/white on the single wire box. This worked and the double fixture box turned on but the single wire box did not.
I then tried to pair up the extra black and white wire together and cap them. That tripped the breaker.
I also tried switching the two black fixture wires on each of them. Neither worked.
Please help!
Best Answer
The single wire box gets it's power from the double wire box, The second set of wires in the first box are going to the second box. (Power comes in on one set of wires and goes out on the other set of wires)
In the first box the blacks go together with the black from the light, joined with a wire nut. The whites go together with the other black from the light, joined with a wire nut. The bare ground wires go together with a wire nut.
Is there no green ground wire on the fixtures? If there is they attach to the bare grounds in each box.
Since you are not dead yet, i will assume you know to turn off the breaker and TEST for power BEFORE you proceed