Any electrician here?

[RayB]

Hi. Is there an electrician here that can tell me if this is ok to do:

I want to add a second bathroom light and have it run off the same switch. Can I simply splice it to the same wires the first light fixture is connected to (in the junction box)?

Specifically:

Light fixture on wall is connected with a proper junction box, etc. It's white wire, black wire and a ground. I want to install another light fixture, and run it to the same junction box, where it will attach to the same wires (white to white, black to black and ground to ground). Basically, each wire at the junction box would then be split off to each light fixture.

I have a crappy diagram below:

[ChadTower]

You may be better off chaining it from the original light fixture.  There is a limit to how many things you can put in a junction box.

[RayB]

Maybe junction box is the wrong word. It's a metal box that the existing light fixture attaches to. It's about 6" by 6".

[ChadTower]

6" by 6" is a fairly big junction box, so you could do it there.  It could easily have been much smaller.

Of course, I'm not an electrician, just someone fairly familiar with the stuff.  Get a pro's word.

[Stingray]

I don't see any thing wrong with doing it that way. Insert the same disclaimer that Chad used here.

-S

[missioncontrol]

adding one extra light shouldn't be a big deal.........

and should be fine.............

I was an electrician 15 yrs ago while in the Navy.......

But then again we didn't have to worry about state codes.........

[ChadTower]

THAT is the real problem.  If you do it, and it's not to whatever your specific code is, and it causes a fire...

...your insurance company will laugh at you while they piss on the ashes of your house.

[whammoed]

I'm not an electrician...
I did this recently in my garage and I've seen it done.
Plus, you know when you have 6 (or however many) can lights in the ceiling on one switch...they don't run all the wires back to the switch, they daisy the wire one to the other.

[RayB]

Isn't a daisy chain what my diagram shows?

One set of wires to the box where the first light is wired, and then there would be a set of wires running down to the second light.

[ChadTower]

It is not.  A daisy chain is each device connected to the preceding device, like links in a chain.  Yours are connected to a common point, which is then connected to the switch.

[Prizmdrop]

Here is my generic rendition of a daisy chain

      quick disconnects
--------|-----------|-------------|
       button       button       button


Not a daisy
                    wires all meet here
button|-------------------O----------------|Button
                                    |
                                    |
                                    |
                                    |
                                    |
                                   button

[whammoed]

Isn't a daisy chain what my diagram shows?

One set of wires to the box where the first light is wired, and then there would be a set of wires running down to the second light.

Well, when I said daisy, yes, thats what I meant, like in your diagram.

[Gootfu]

First thing is the type of wire needed.
eg NMD90 for wood construction

[RayB]

Should be no problem, the second light fixture will come with the appropriate wiring.

[crashwg]

I wired an entire 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home before and it's still standing.  That being said, your wiring plan is correct.

BUT... you do have to make sure you don't over stuff the box.  Assuming you can't remove the box, go down to home depot or the like and look at a similar box, on the side of the box it should have some numbers like 10-14 or 8-12.  Those are the ammounts of wires that can be safely crammed into the box according to code and the manufacturer.  Assuming that you're using 14-2 which is what most people use in their homes and going by your drawing you'll be having 9, 14 guage wires in the box so you need the box to be rated for at least that many.

I hope that was all explained well enough...

Oh, and turn the power off! 

[RayB]

Thanks!

BZZZZZZTTT!