Ceiling light fixture question

[Stevens]

I was changing out a ceiling light fixture at home today, it is chandelier style with six of the small base, flame or teardrop shaped incandescent 50 watt bulbs. It was installed about 30 years ago when we built the house.
Before working on it I turned it on then switched all the breakers off one by one and it stayed lit. I turned the switch off, the bulbs went off so I removed the wire nuts then checked for voltage with a volt meter, with the wall mounted rocker switch on I was reading approx. 120V, with the switch off it read 25V.
I changed a separate fixture in the same room earlier, but on a different circuit, the wires read approx. 120V on, 0V off.

I can't figure out why, so, why would that be so?

Thanks!

Steve W

 

[jaykellogg]

It could be that the wall switch is bad. Another possibility is the electrician switched the neutral line instead of th hot line. If that were the case, you would have 120V between the black wire and the grounded metal box or the ground wire (Switch off).

 

[mudcat100]

You've got more of a problem if none of the breakers would turn it off.Did you just turn off the single pole breakers? If so,then try your double pole breakers.If one of those turns it off,then it's wired incorrectly in the panel.Also,like what was already stated,your neutral wire may be used as your switch leg.

 

[Stevens]

I've got an electrician coming in next week to install a transfer switch for my "in case of hurricane" generator. I'll get him to check it out.

Thanks!
Steve W

 

[dereksfl]

Sounds like neutral is switched and a partial ground.

 

[msinc]

Does another switch across the room also operate this fixture??? If so it could have a bad 3 way switch but they should never be on different breakers. It sounds more like something else in the house is wired wrong and has the neutral wire backfeeding. Bad part is it could be someone else in your neighborhood with something hooked up reversed and backfeed thru your neutral wire off the transformer. You would have to pull the meterbase and disconnect the main neutral wire to see if thats the case. Bottomline is that you have something funny going on there and I would suggest you have the electrician have a good general overall look at everything.