Trying to understand some wiring....

[joshboogie]

OK I know pretty much zero about anything electrical outside of a car so can someone help me to understand what I'm looking at in these pics?

I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to tap into any of this to run an outlet for a few small battery chargers and a drop light.



From reading I know that Black and Red are Hot, white is neutral, and the bare wire is the ground. Now the black wire from the ballast box is tied to the red wire which has 120v with the switch turned on and goes dead when the switch is off. At the switch itself there is a black wire, red wire, and a ground. I'm assuming the red wire at the switch is also the wire at the light itself because they both go dead white the light off. I originally wanted to take power right from the switch itself but there is no neutral so that was out. The only white wire I see at the light appears to be running straight from the socket into the wall. Is this neutral? It never has power on it.


I'm new to the 110+ volt world so sorry if this seems all jumbled together.

 

[Harm]

Hi. I would suggest taking the fluorescent fixture down. It looks like there should be a box behind it since I don't see a wire nut for the ballast's neutral.

I'm assuming the black and red both come from that light fixture and that power comes from somewhere else to that. That way, the black could supply power to your switch and the red could bring it back to the light.

Have you pulled the switch out of the box? A Romex wire with a red conductor would also bring a white one to that box. Or do you have conduit with just conductors inside?

 

[nadogail]

You seem to have it figured out, move to the head of the class. In your instalation, the hot runs to the switch and the neutral to the fixture. The switched wire, red in your case, carries the current from the switch to the fixture.

Not every fixture is wired like yours, there are other ways to accomplish the same purpose.

You can not rely on all Red wires as being switched. White (sometimes natural gray) and Green (sometimes with a yellow tracer) are sacred colors, other colors are for convienience.

Keep your questions coming.

 

[joshboogie]

OK let me clear something up cause I failed to mention it in my original post. This is actually a storage unit I'm renting so I don't have access to all the wiring. I didn't install the fixture/ballast so I'm not sure how it was wired. It seems like all the wiring is behind the metal wall that separates the units but I'm weary about unscrewing the wall lol.

The switch only had 3 wires at it 1 Black (hot), 1 Red (to ballast), & 1 Ground. I didn't see any other wire.


I have another question. What is the function of Neutral? What is its purpose in the circuit?



Thanks for all your help.

 

[kbs2244]

I would be real careful about this.
Not for technical reasons, but for legal.
I would bet your lease would say you cannot do it.
You may be opening yourself up for doing some lawyer talking time.

 

[rinny_tin_tin]

OK I know pretty much zero about anything electrical outside of a car so can someone help me to understand what I'm looking at in these pics?

I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to tap into any of this to run an outlet for a few small battery chargers and a drop light.



From reading I know that Black and Red are Hot, white is neutral, and the bare wire is the ground. Now the black wire from the ballast box is tied to the red wire which has 120v with the switch turned on and goes dead when the switch is off. At the switch itself there is a black wire, red wire, and a ground. I'm assuming the red wire at the switch is also the wire at the light itself because they both go dead white the light off. I originally wanted to take power right from the switch itself but there is no neutral so that was out. The only white wire I see at the light appears to be running straight from the socket into the wall. Is this neutral? It never has power on it.


I'm new to the 110+ volt world so sorry if this seems all jumbled together.

You can take 110V by splicing into the red and white neutral coming through the hole. The neutral is your return leg and has the same potential as ground and is to never be switched, Whatever current is flowing through your hot is also flowing through your neutral.

 

[nadogail]

.....I have another question. What is the function of Neutral? What is its purpose in the circuit? .....
Thanks for all your help.

A short non-technical answer: The Neutral is the grounded return to the power house. Switches or Fuses are almost never connected into a neutral.
The wiring for Gas Pumps is, I have been taught, an exception.

 

[joshboogie]

Thanks for the clearing up the neutral thing that makes sense now.

As for the attempt at wiring this thing up I threw in the towel on it. While the white wire at the ballast may be neutral it's not a heavy gauge wire. It's looks to be about 18 gauge at best. So not really the safest thing to be doing. I'm just going find another place that already has an outlet in it.


Thanks for the help though.

 

[south pier garage]

I would be real careful about this...

+100.


you're mixing apples and peaches. lighting circuits are usually 15 amp circuits and you want 20 amp for your goodies. yes; i understand thousands of garageteers have battery chargers plugged into 15 amp circuits and have experienced no problems.....

so if you trip a breaker in the storage facility, how many other lights are affected? how would you feel if the guy 2 bays down plugged in a freezer to his fluorescent fixture and the next night you go to dig something out you're stuck holding the maglight between your teeth?

buy a heavy duty extention cord and be safe!