help with fitting a ceiling light!

[thebeardrustler]

hi, need help putting up a ceiling light in my front room after having the ceiling skimmed. (plasterer took out old fitting and cant remember what wires went where!)
there are 3 cables coming in, 2 of which have black, red and bare copper. the 3rd cable has yellow, green, red and bare copper.
the 3 blacks go into a connector block, red and yellow into another block and the green has its own block. the 3 bare copper (earths?) are taped up(ish) and not connected to anything
when i screw the new bracket into the ceiling it trips the rcb without even connecting any wires, and when i remove the bracket the rcb is fine!
any help or is it one for a sparkie.......??

here is a picture of the wires......
http://gyazo.com/8d004a7d6a6f04fea8b340395527e5da

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So with the wires connected as shown the RCD does not trip, and when you screw the bracket to the ceiling it trips even though the wires are still just connected as shown, and not also connected to any terminals on the light?

Sounds like one of the screws has gone into a cable - you need to find out where, and replace the damaged section.

 

[thebeardrustler]

Right ok. After stripping back some of the insulation tapearound the bare coppers I can see there are in fact 4 cables. Theres another with the black/red/bare copper. I cant have gone through a wire with a screw as the cables go into a backbox type thing (similar size to a tuna can) with brackets to screw into. No damaged wires are visible and the screws didnt go through into the ceiling void above!
Couod it just be that the metal light bracket was touching the bare copper (earths?) And this somehow shorted itout?

 

[thebeardrustler]

Right. I have managed to sort out the bracket issue. There are 3live wires going into a connection block (not very clear on pic) and one was loose. Tightened that and insulation taped the block and also redone the earth's. Now the bracket is on without tripping anything out. So, where do I put these damn wires....?!?
If its any use the green and yellow wires come from the dimmer switch (also needs replacing with normal 2 gang switch)

 

[securespark]

Don't know. Get a spark out and charge it to the plasterer.

It was his mistake.

 

[thebeardrustler]

panic over, i have sorted it. thanks for the help!

 

[conny]

panic over, i have sorted it. thanks for the help!

Is it correct?
Is it safe?
What tests did you do?

 

[thebeardrustler]

i taped up the 3 wires going into connector block and moved them out the way. the yellow/red into another connector is a feed from the switch and goes to the wall lights so i taped up. the bare earths i have put into a connector and connected to the light. the green wire was the switch live so i connected that. and the black neutrals are connected to the light.
rcb's no longer trip out and the light works, it even dims!
i dont have a multimeter and wouldnt know how to use one tbh so the light works = happy days!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It may work, but there definitely a number of non-conformities by what you have described.

 

[thebeardrustler]

well, so long as the house doesnt burn down and i dont get thrown across the room if i brush the light with my head as i walk past its all good isnt it?

 

[securespark]

Green wire: switched live??

To say nothing of a cable with red, green and yellow conductors in it!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

well, so long as the house doesnt burn down and i dont get thrown across the room if i brush the light with my head as i walk past its all good isnt it?

No it's pyss poor to tell you the truth.
Unfortunately that attitude sometime ends up with house fires and electrocutions, unfortunately again it's not normally the person that doesn't give a monkeys that ends up being the one that is effected by it, and when they do they go in to self denial.

 

[thebeardrustler]

here is the back of the light switch (2 gang dimmer)
the green wire and the yellow wire are both switch live (?) green for main light and yellow for side lights

http://gyazo.com/ad5f279720943713a476dc3b2c3e7216

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Not green but blue.
The cables should be correctly identified and terminated (not taped up) and fitted within a enclosure to prevent accidental contact.

 

[thebeardrustler]

no, it is actually green. doesnt really look it on the pic tho!