strange wiring in ceiling rose

[Ghummy]

hi, long time reader first time poster. today i decided to connect up some modern lights instead of fluroscent tube lights that have been installed for the past 15 years and never caused any problems.

problem one. in the first room there is no ceiling rose. easy i thought. took off the tube light and it appears that someone had taken off the ceiling rose in the past and shoved some choc blocks in the ceiling. i have temporarily left it as it is as the wires were very short. everything works however. how would one best rectify this issue.

second and seems like a bigger problem is. second room, removed the tune light and took the cover of the ceiling rose and found this setup



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why is it that the neutral from the tube light connected to the live wire which i persume is the switched live and the live wire from the previous light connected to the neutral?

i took the light switch off the wall and only found 2 brown wired behind this to make things more confusing.

i have left installing the new light into this till tomorrow by when hopefully i will have some clarification.

should i connect up just as the way it was previous. never caused a problem. surpisingly there wasnt an earth connected to the meal tube light fixture.

or

should i connect it as it should be, i.e connect the live terminal on the new light to the single red wire and the neutral to the 2 black wires?

everything was working before

thanks for the help in advanced.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Swap the Brown and Blue.

It doesn't matter operationally because of the alternating current but it could lead to accessible parts of the light fitting being live.


There isn't much you can do with the short wires in the ceiling without some damage to the ceiling.

 

[Ghummy]

thanks for the fast reply. i will swap the blue and brown around when there is daylight tomorrow.

would the choc blocks in the ceiling be reasonably safe being left up there?

am i wrong in thinking that the fuse in the CU should go bang if the switched live and neutral are mixed up in the light fitting?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

i will swap the blue and brown around when there is daylight tomorrow.

I would also suggest marking up the single red core, as this is a switch wire, just to help identify it, if and when you change any fittings, otherwise could get mixed up with other reds, then can become a bit of headache.

would the choc blocks in the ceiling be reasonably safe being left up there?

The blocks should be in an enclosure such as a choc box if they are accessible. If not then joints in the cables should be made using joints free of maintenance and then enclosed, this can be done by using maintenance free junction boxes.

am i wrong in thinking that the fuse in the CU should go bang if the switched live and neutral are mixed up in the light fitting?

No you are correct, if you short between line and neutral, the fuse should pop! But you have the polarity reversed across the lamp and most lamps will work in reverse polarity, but this is better corrected as it can be potentially dangerous.

 

[EFLImpudence]

would the choc blocks in the ceiling be reasonably safe being left up there?

Yes, make sure the connections are tight and wrap them in self amalgamating tape - how to use.

am i wrong in thinking that the fuse in the CU should go bang if the switched live and neutral are mixed up in the light fitting?

In the rose it would but connecting the fitting the wrong way round just makes the Brown neutral and the Blue live.

Hence why some parts, which shouldn't, may become live.


Wires can be anything we want them to be; they do not know what colour they are.

 

[Taylortwocities]

surpisingly there wasnt an earth connected to the meal tube light fixture.

there should be. please add one if the light fixture requires an earth.

 

[Ghummy]

Got this sorted in the end. Wired up the ceiling rose as it's supposed to be done which took the best part of 5 minutes which was quite pleasing as everything falls to bits when I touch it. Made sure it was all nice and tight

On the note of the other light where the wires were short with choc blocks. Decided to call in a spark today. Entered my postcode on the niceic website. Phoned him and he was here in 10 mins. He removed the choc blocks and managed to pull another inch from the ceiling from the main cable. Connected it directly to the choc block on the new light fitting like the way it's supposed to be. Covered it with insulation tape and enclosed it in the base of the light fitting. Best part of it was that he only charged me £10. Couldn't believe my luck.

One thing I did find strange tough he was working live. Not seen that before
Thanks to all that helped on here.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Covered it with insulation tape

Naughty man.

One thing I did find strange tough he was working live.

Naughty man.