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We bought this house a little over a year ago, this is one of those things that I've been checking off the long punch list. Have a bathroom light with multiple bulbs, one of which is broken off at the base, I couldn't get it to turn without the socket rotating so decided to remove the fixture so I could work on it on the bench. Figuring I'd have 3 wire nutted connections when I pulled the fixture off.
I removed the wire nuts on the white, black and ground but the ground connection was twisted about an inch long and I didn't have enough hands to get it loose. It's mounted up close to the ceiling and I really couldn't see what was going on, the only wire holding it was the ground so I cut it figuring I'd just wire nut it together when I reinstall.
I was surprised to see the ground wired to the white. is that an OK thing? The fixture is on a single switch--not a 3 way. It's always worked fine except for the one broken bulb.
Thanks, g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
The Eagles: Already Gone
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There are a few reasons not to do that, you can google them after you correct it.
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Maybe spot check some others while you’re at it. Anything in wet areas especially.
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Is that a ground wire coming from the cable feeding the box ? If so connect it and the fixture ground wire to the mounting plate with the green screw marked GND. The white wire from the wall just connects to the white fixture wire. Roly
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Yes, there is a ground wire in the cable feeding the box. I've completed the rewiring and getting the stuck base out of the socket. One bulb separated from the base as I removed the fixture--I never touched it--, another broke off with very little force when I tried to unscrew it. Replaced all with good LED's
Thank you both for the info, I wasn't sure if there was a god reason to be wired like that.
g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
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(03-30-2019, 12:40 PM)shoottmx Wrote: Yes, there is a ground wire in the cable feeding the box. I've completed the rewiring and getting the stuck base out of the socket. One bulb separated from the base as I removed the fixture--I never touched it--, another broke off with very little force when I tried to unscrew it. Replaced all with good LED's
Thank you both for the info, I wasn't sure if there was a good reason to be wired like that.
g
More of a bad reason. Roly
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I would just reiterate that it would make sense to check some more fixtures to make certain the problem doesn't exist elsewhere.
If it does, then I think a failure in the neutral anywhere could I think light-up the ground and energize metal light fixtures.
I think.
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Thanks again guys, will check a couple around the house. greatly appreciate your advise.
g
I've only had one...in dog beers.
"You can see the stars and still not see the light"
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BTDT:
Long story, brain damaged electrician routed the feed line into the light fixture on the house eave (on a 3 way circuit) and didn't have a neutral in the switchbox in the garage..... This was the solution.
chris
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Qualifier: I am not an electrician.
When we bought our house, it had a 2 wire system, IOW, no ground wire in any of the circuits. My first tip off was the outlets had no grounds.
The neutral was tied to the ground in the panel. So was the neutral was also acting as ground?
In reference to the poster, you can't always go by the color of the wire. Electricians have been known to do strange things. Learned that the hard way.
