Help Wiring Fluorescent Light To Plug....

[terrible1one3]

Here is the deal, I built a work stand, bought a fluorescent light for it.

 

It is a light that is meant to be hard wired in, I want to run it through a switch and into an outlet via a standard 3 prong plug.

 

What I bought is 12G wire (probably too big but does it matter?) I am running black and white out of the light, black into the top of the on/off switch, and also the black from the plug is wired to that, the white from the light and the white from the plug are wired to the bottom post of the switch. Then finally the ground is wired to the switch from the plug.

 

When I plug in the light, it turns on and works. When I flick the switch it blows the fuse.

 

Can someone explain in dummy terms how to wire this correctly?

 

Thanks!

 

-Mike

[GPSilverado]

Here is the deal, I built a work stand, bought a fluorescent light for it.

 

It is a light that is meant to be hard wired in, I want to run it through a switch and into an outlet via a standard 3 prong plug.

 

What I bought is 12G wire (probably too big but does it matter?) I am running black and white out of the light, black into the top of the on/off switch, and also the black from the plug is wired to that, the white from the light and the white from the plug are wired to the bottom post of the switch. Then finally the ground is wired to the switch from the plug.

 

When I plug in the light, it turns on and works. When I flick the switch it blows the fuse.

 

Can someone explain in dummy terms how to wire this correctly?

 

Thanks!

 

-Mike

 

 

First off, I am no electrician, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before. This diagram should show you what you need to know.

[terrible1one3]

Here is the deal, I built a work stand, bought a fluorescent light for it.

 

It is a light that is meant to be hard wired in, I want to run it through a switch and into an outlet via a standard 3 prong plug.

 

What I bought is 12G wire (probably too big but does it matter?) I am running black and white out of the light, black into the top of the on/off switch, and also the black from the plug is wired to that, the white from the light and the white from the plug are wired to the bottom post of the switch. Then finally the ground is wired to the switch from the plug.

 

When I plug in the light, it turns on and works. When I flick the switch it blows the fuse.

 

Can someone explain in dummy terms how to wire this correctly?

 

Thanks!

 

-Mike

 

 

First off, I am no electrician, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before. This diagram should show you what you need to know.

 

 

That did it! The white wired directly to the white and the black going through the switch made everything work. I don't quite understand it but I appreciate it! Thanks a bunch!

 

Plus that holiday inn joke had me laughing pretty good

[ajcain79]

When you flipped the switch to the "on" position you created a dead short between the black and white wires. That's why it blew the fuse. With the switch in the "off" positon the wireing basically bypassed the switch like it wasn't even there and that's why the light came on when you plugged it in.