help needed re new light fitting

[mariej]

For most light fittings you can put the switch wire in either L or N but the manufacturer would not normally bother putting L & N markers on the terminal block.

But my concern is that in your case they have.

What type of lighting are you fitting - does it have a transformer or is it an edison bulb (screw in type)? A picture or a link would help.[/quote]


its one with 3 bulbs etc ( screw in ) the l & n were not actually on the block but on a peice of paper attached to it if that makes any difference .....
have no way of attaching pics as i'm at work and dont even have the info sheet that came with light with me

 

[xr4x4]

The red wires go together into a connector block that does not connect to the fitting. The black wires are the neutral and switchline (live) to the fitting.

so no red wires connect to the light fitting at all ??

i connect one black to the live and one to the neutral on the light fitting ??

NO NO NO.... only if you know which black wire is the switched live.....

ok, silly question but how do i check that ????

you should have taken more notice of what went to where before you took it apart.

yeah thanks for the sarcasm !!!
as it happens i'm not the one who took the old light fitting down !!!!!!

well you didnt say that did you...!!

i wasnt being sarcastic, its always good practice to make a note of any wiring before you start work on anything your not sure of.

i guess the person who removed the old light fitting has no idea of what went where?

was it a standard pendent light fitting?

 

[mariej]

well you didnt say that did you...!!

i wasnt being sarcastic, its always good practice to make a note of any wiring before you start work on anything your not sure of.

i guess the person who removed the old light fitting has no idea of what went where?

was it a standard pendent light fitting?[/quote]


it was a standard pendant , being replaced with a 3 light fitting.

as for how the old was was connected , i think it was the earth connected on its own to a connector at the top , the red and blacks were in individual connectors in the centre, blue and brown from light fitting connected seperatly too .....hope that makes sense

 

[riveralt]

its one with 3 bulbs etc ( screw in ) the l & n were not actually on the block but on a peice of paper attached to it if that makes any difference .....
have no way of attaching pics as i'm at work and dont even have the info sheet that came with light with me

Edison (screw in) bulbs have the live (line) to the centre so it is important which way the switch live is connected - you fitting instructions should indicate this.

If there is no indication as to which conductor is switch live then you have three choices:
If you feel confident enough and have access to a multi meter then after switching the power off at the consumer unit - at the switch connect the black and earth wire together in a terminal block. Set your mulit-meter to low ohms. Then at the ceiling point test between the black and earth for each grey cable - on one of them will give you a low ohm reading this black cable will be you switch live - mark it. This goes in the live terminal and the other black goes in your neutral terminal.

If you have no multimeter then its part guessing - you could look to see if one of the cables goes toward the switch.

Or you could call an electrician in to help.

Good luck.

 

[xr4x4]

The red wires go together into a connector block that does not connect to the fitting. The black wires are the neutral and switchline (live) to the fitting.

so no red wires connect to the light fitting at all ??

i connect one black to the live and one to the neutral on the light fitting ??

Thats correct.

this what you need to do by the way... ^

one of the cables with the red and black will be the live and netrual cable from the fuse box, the other cable will go to the red and black on the light switch.

now when you connect the two reds together, the power from the fusebox will travel down the red wire to your conection at the light fitting and down the other red wire to the light switch.

when the light switch is turned on the live power will travel down the black netrual wire to one of the black netrual wires at the light fitting, so if you connect both blacks to the light fitting you will have completed the circuit.

so one of the blacks will be live and the other the netural return.

thats why normally one of the netrual wires will have a red (or brown) sleeve on it, so you know its not netrual but a (switched) live.

and dont forgot to turn off the power and connect the earths as well.

hth's

 

[mariej]

Edison (screw in) bulbs have the live (line) to the centre so it is important which way the switch live is connected - you fitting instructions should indicate this.

If there is no indication as to which conductor is switch live then you have three choices:
If you feel confident enough and have access to a multi meter then after switching the power off at the consumer unit - at the switch connect the black and earth wire together in a terminal block. Set your mulit-meter to low ohms. Then at the ceiling point test between the black and earth for each grey cable - on one of them will give you a low ohm reading this black cable will be you switch live - mark it. This goes in the live terminal and the other black goes in your neutral terminal.

If you have no multimeter then its part guessing - you could look to see if one of the cables goes toward the switch.

Or you could call an electrician in to help.

Good luck.[/quote]


as it happens i think i do have one of those gadgets, good job as i dont think i can see which way the cables go once they are in the ceiling....no access in to the space above as i'm in a flat .

thanks for your help, will try and sort it when i get home

 

[Monkeh]

You could also just turn the switch on. Or put both wires in one terminal on the switch. Why waste a block?