new electrical run

[09876]

I have added an additon to my house. In the ceiling I put a junction box which houses my home run, a cable from the receptacles, a cable from the light switch and a short jumper cable from the chandelier. I have power to all and everything is working fine. When I put my light switch cable in it blows the circuit breaker. The only way I have been able to make it work is to run my chandelier directly into the junction box without using my jumper cable. Thats fine for the work light I have up there now but want to be able to access the jumper cable through my light housing when I put my permanent light up

 

[ericmark]

Although this site does do some non UK stuff I would think you would be better asking on a USA site. Without pictures or better description can't really answer.

"When I put my light switch cable in it blows the circuit breaker" and " I have power to all and everything is working fine." do not seem to go together when it blows a circuit breaker I would not consider it to be working fine!

I realise you write American not English and I worry that this may mean too much mis-understanding and that your "jumper cable" may be something completely different to what I call a "jumper cable" so I would re-post on a USA site.

 

[plugwash]

Your description is a bit unclear but it seems you have made the very common newbie mistake of putting a switch accross the mains rather than in series with a load.

 

[Paul_C]

it seems you have made the very common newbie mistake of putting a switch accross the mains rather than in series with a load.

It sure sounds like it: If you can close the circuit breaker and have the light come on when the light switch is off, but the breaker trips as soon as you turn on the switch, that's almost certainly what you've done.

What you should have in the junction box is:

Home run black wire connected to receptacles black wire, and to the white wire which runs to the switch (this white wire should be marked black to identify it as a hot).

The black wire from the switch should be connected to the black wire which runs to the light.

The white wire from the light, the white wire which runs to the receptacles, and the white wire from your home run should then be connected together.

Obviously the bare ground wires from all four cable should all be connected together, and to the metal box.