Red ceiling wire no longer visible

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Hi,

We are trying to change a light fitting in our kitchen. I removed the old fitting and had the red and black wires coming out however when we went back to it the next day somehow one of the red wires has gone back up into one of the two holes within the 'casing' the wires come out of and I can't seem to get it out. There's seems to be a loop as the long red wire you see goes into both holes so pulling that doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions as to how i can get the wire end out? It's limited how much I can reach in with my hand.

Thanks
 

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It looks like you have steel conduit with single conductoprs in the conduit.
As suggested above, hopefully you can use some long nosed pliers to pull it out, if yoiu can see the end ( a torch and a dentist-type mirror might help.)

If it has properly disappeared then I am wondering how on earth that might have happened?? Did you change another light or do other wiring?
If so, you may need to determine where the conduit goes to next, and see if you can free up an inch or two of wire.
 
I am amazed at how much "spare" wire there is hanging out of that ceiling box. I do wonder if this long loop was pulled out of the box in the pictures and the wire that "dis-appeared" was the end of this pulled wire in a different ceiling box
 
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I am amazed at how much "spare" wire there is hanging out of that ceiling box. I do wonder if this long loop was pulled out of the box in the pictures and the wire that "dis-appeared" was the end of this pulled wire in a different ceiling box

In my attempt to get the wire end I had pulled some of this wiring out so it appears a lot of spare. There is a second ceiling light in the kitchen, but all those ends are still there so it doesn't seem that they are linked directly but perhaps I'm wrong?
 

There was no earth wire in this one. Just two red and black cables tied together going into two holes in the fitting. Is this a danger? There are no other wires.

In the same light the other side of the kitchen, the wiring looked a bit of a mess but when comparing to the other one it looks like the 3 red wires go into the earth input?

Our new IKEA fittings only has live and neutral so how should I approach this?

Thanks
 

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When first installed the conduit would have been the earth. But there is the worry that since then people may have messed with it and that it is no longer electrically continuous.

Your new light fitting doesn't need an earth, but others might, as would any metal switches.

You would be advised to have an electrician check the soundness of the earth paths through the conduit.
 
That loop you have there must go somewhere. I cannot believe there is that much spare within an enclosed conduit system, nor that there is enough movement in the wiring to allow cables to disappear into the conduit.

Are you sure you have not disturbed cable elsewhere in the system?

Have you got two ceiling boxes exposed or maybe a switch point?

Ban:

That system looks like it is buried in concrete. Never say never, but I would hazard a guess it has not been tampered with.
 
Sorry, did not read all your posts.

There is a second ceiling light in the kitchen, but all those ends are still there

They may look all there but the one you have pulled may have become detached.
 
That loop you have there must go somewhere. I cannot believe there is that much spare within an enclosed conduit system, nor that there is enough movement in the wiring to allow cables to disappear into the conduit.

Are you sure you have not disturbed cable elsewhere in the system?

Have you got two ceiling boxes exposed or maybe a switch point?

Ban:

That system looks like it is buried in concrete. Never say never, but I would hazard a guess it has not been tampered with.


Yes there is a second exposed ceiling box as I took both fittings down at the same time (they are about 2 metres apart), so essentially there are 2 of what you see in the photo. I also thought perhaps they are connected somehow however when I checked yesterday all the cables for the second box are there, but I will double check. Are you thinking that potentially if I push one cable from the other fitting it may push the wire end I need out of this fitting? Not that I'd be able to tell which of the 5 red wires to push! without trying!

It is all buried in concrete and is an ex council flat so I doubt anything has been tampered with.
 
Are you thinking that potentially if I push one cable from the other fitting it may push the wire end I need out of this fitting? Not that I'd be able to tell which of the 5 red wires to push! without trying!

That's your , and probably only, option.

If that does not work then you are going to need an electrician with a set of cable rods.

It sounds like you have pulled the conductor when you opened the second box.
 
If a wire has become lost, chances are another accessory has been loosened or removed, and the wire has been pulled out.

The most obvious guess would be the light switch was loosened off the wall, and the wire has been pulled out.

And that long loop of cable you have pulled out has no doubt made it too short at the other end that it goes to.

You're a menace.
 

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