Installing a Track Lighting System

[CDNPatriot]

I took out an old chandelier and attempted to replace it with a track lighting system.

I took out the old one and found three wires. They were all connected by four different electrical caps. Each of the three wires were further composed by one white, one black and one copper. One of the wires leads to another light fixture. The other two appears that one is the main source and one may be coming from a light switch. I attached all three whites together, all three blacks together and all three coppers together. The problem is that my light source remains always open. What did I do wrong?

PS the other light fixture that the other wire leads to still works properly.

[Regin8r]

I'm not a licensed electrician, but I'll take a shot. 2 wires have power (the source and the other light), so they can be connected, but the switch needs to be connected to control the track light you are installing.

So the one wire that is used for the switch, you will need to figure out which one that is.

So you will need to connect 2 white wires together (source, other light fixture) and the white wire from the light fixture, 3 black wires (source, other light fixture and the black switch wire). The white wire from the switch, you will connect to the black wire of the new light fixture.

Basically the switch will turn the black wire on and off. I think probably the standard is to put black electrical tape on the white wire coming from the switch so you know that is black power coming from the switch.

Hopefully this is clearer:

W = white
B = black

3 Connections:
W(source) W(other light) W(new light)

B(source) B(other light) B(switch)

W(switch) B(new light)

[WalnutCrunch]

Hopefully this is clearer:

W = white
B = black

3 Connections:
W(source) W(other light) W(new light)

B(source) B(other light) B(switch)

W(switch) B(new light)

That sounds correct. The original problem is that the switch isn't part of the circuit so it doesn't do anything.

Don't forget to connect all the ground (bare) wires together as well. If the new fixture has a green nut on it, you'll also have to connect that to the ground using a bare or green wire.

[CDNPatriot]

Thanks for the direction. I tried this and spent a few hours connecting and reconnecting other scenarios. I can't get the switch to work.

If I connect all the black to black white to white the new light turns on and stays on. The other light turns on and off with the other light switch. But I can't get the new one to turn on with that set up.

Does anyone think it has anything to do with the dimmer switch instead of regular light switch?

[CDNPatriot]

Checked the dimmer switch and switched with another light switch. It was the dimmer apparently it dowsn't work well with halogen lights.

Thanks everyone the setup was right and well explained.

[rc51]

Checked the dimmer switch and switched with another light switch. It was the dimmer apparently it dowsn't work well with halogen lights.

Thanks everyone the setup was right and well explained.

Check your dimmer switch..there are ones that are made for Halogens specificially. Get the right one...or you're risking a fire hazard.

[WalnutCrunch]

Your track lights are probably low voltage (there's a transformer in there that converts power from 120V to 12V). You have to first make sure the new lights can work with dimmers; and if they do, you'll need a dimmer switch specifically designed for low voltage lighting.