I'm currently installing a new ceiling light and noticed something unusual with the wiring. When I took down the old light, I found the house wiring to have blue, black, and green/yellow colors. After testing with a voltage detector, I determined that the blue is neutral, black is live, and the green/yellow, which I expected to be ground, also showed power. I connected the light's wires as follows: black to black, white to blue, and bare copper to green/yellow. Everything works and the light turns on without tripping any breakers. However, I'm getting a strange reading on the probe, as shown in the video I shared. Should I be concerned about this? Should I leave the ground unconnected from the green/yellow and utilize the grounding screw on the mount instead? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
3 Answers
What kind of light fixture are you installing? Is it a standard one or does it come with a remote? This can sometimes affect how it's wired.
Be cautious! The tester you're using can pick up stray voltage. I suggest investing in a multimeter for a more accurate read. Check the voltage between blue and green wires; it should read 0 volts. If you're getting any voltage, it means there's an issue with the wiring. Make sure to fix this before proceeding with the installation.
It sounds like your wiring setup might be off. Typically, blue should not be acting as a ground; rather, it’s often neutral in many systems. I recommend trying this wiring: connect the black wire from your light to the black (live) in your house, the white from your light to the green/yellow (ground), and then connect the bare copper to the blue wire. Check everything again after rewiring to ensure safety. Remember, grounding is crucial for avoiding shocks!
Thanks! But if blue is considered neutral in some cases, doesn't that mean the green/yellow could also be neutral?
You might want to check if the green/yellow is incorrectly wired or if there’s any bleed somewhere in the system!
It's just a standard light fixture, no remote involved.