Ceiling rose wiring prob

[Lee UK]

When we moved in our house it had most fittings removed (switches and ceiling fittings) so i re fitted everything that was missing and until now its been okay, we recently improved the downstairs shower room, prior it had a wall light and shaver connector but never worked, now the room is nearly done i fitted a new wall light but its always on so i removed ceiling light fitting to look at wiring, 2 of the red are a little black, i decided to remove one at a time, after loads of different ways i put them all back and now im getting a shorting sort of sound when i switch main on! i think one i may of disturbed one of the red wires that had previosly blown making it have a connection, what the bl**dy hell is going on, my heads in bits

 

[breezer]

the noise you can hear is "arcing" the electricity is jumping across a small gap, apart from being anoying it causes fires. it is also probably why the cables are black

It may be doing it for several reasons though.

1) most likely bad connection or corroded wire causing bad connection

2) cable is very old and its insulation is breaking down allowing it to arc.

3) one of the cables has or is going down to earth

solution

1) clean connections including wires

2) check connections are not corroded

3) replace all affected cables

4) see 3

obviously you should have the mains turned off while you do this

 

[Lee UK]

it only does it when there is a bulb in, the wiring is in good condition

 

[breezer]

see 1 & 2 above.

When ther is a lamp in that means it is drawing current, as you havent said it flickers or any fuses or mcb's trip it would imly a bad connection, it also may be a bad connection in the switch, if you still cant cure it change the light fitting (or to prove it change it for a simple batten holder light fitting)

 

[Lee UK]

took all wires out of rose and put in block connectors, no arcing now and light works ok (as it did before attemting to fit new), it did flicker before and no fuses tripped,

now i put 2 bloacks in one and one black in another and the new light isnt on would one of the reds go to this black do you think as a red will be from switch and the black to new light ??

hope it makes sense

 

[breezer]

i assume you have 2 reds and two blacks, if so the two reds should go into one terminal and the light should go across the two blacks.

one black is a neutral the other is a switch wire

 

[Lee UK]

3 reds 3 blacks -


ceiling rose
--------------------*------*------*--------*----*----*------*----*
---------------to bulb---blkx2---blk-------all 1 red-----red----to bulb


now in block connectors


2x blk to bulb

1 blk

3x red

1x red to bulb


in double light switch is 3 reds

 

[breezer]

as i said the lamp should be across two blacks not a red.

it should be as follows

bk & bk (both neutral) R R R Live in/ out & switch feed ) Bk switch wire
lamp---------------------------------------------------------------- Lamp

 

[Lee UK]

cheers breezer for your info
had a mess about, found 1 black and 1 red for the wall light, there are 4 reds and 3 blacks, i now have a black doing nothing and there are 3 reds at switch, i have a feeling the second switch is for the study light (as a second switch) and not the shower room wall light!! so im struggling to find the wire from second switch which means i have one or both lights on one switch

All done, ran both lights of one switch for now, maybe there is another wire (from the other switch) above the ceiling and i still have what appears 1 black wire doing nothing.

Could have done a rubiks cube quicker!