Wall lights - wiring question

[cawright1]

Hi guys, would appreciate your advice.

Bought couple of wall lights from ebay - they are French and pretty old Apparently rewired about 5 years ago. Anyway, I need them rewiring before I install them onthe wall but I'm not sure if I simply need to duplicate the current wires or is it something different for UK electrics? Pic attached and and any advice appreciated.

 

[deadshort]

Hi, if the lamp holder is a standard british Bayonet Cap then you don't have to worry about polarity on you're wiring.

If the lamp holder is ES - Edison Screw the centre pin MUST be connected to Live and the outer to neutral.

The fitting appears to have an adequate earth connection to the body of the fitting you need to check that all the metal work including the lamp holder (if brass)is also connected to the earth lead.

If you have a multimeter you can check polarity and earth continiuity using that, if not, your electrician will do the checks.


Kind Regards,


DS

 

[cawright1]

Hi, yes, its standard bayonet, so thats good to know re the polarity as I was not sure which white wire wnt where! As re the earth wire, it is only attached to that screw that you see in the pic - which itself is touching the brass bulb holder via the bolt. Is that ok?

 

[deadshort]

Hi,

You just need to verify the electrical continuity of the earth wire to the lamp holder using a multi meter.

Kind Regards,

DS

 

[cawright1]

..and thats where I come unstuck! (No multimeter). I have a budget of around £50.00 to fit these in place of my old ones on my wall (straight swap) but cant find anyone in Stockport who'll do it for that price.

 

[deadshort]

Hi, sorry. I am too far away to help !

Kind regards,

DS

 

[Johnmelad]

..and thats where I come unstuck! (No multimeter). I have a budget of around £50.00 to fit these in place of my old ones on my wall (straight swap) but cant find anyone in Stockport who'll do it for that price.

http://www.testermans.co.uk/digital-multimeter

 

[ban-all-sheds]

..and thats where I come unstuck! (No multimeter).

A multimeter, at least, is an essential tool to have if you want to work on your electrics. It is just as important to have that correct tool as it is to have screwdrivers to use on screws instead of the point of a vegetable knife, wirecutters to use instead of nail scissors, wirestrippers to use instead of teeth, and so on.

Neon screwdrivers are questionable from a safety POV as they use your body as a current path, and they are unreliable - to safely check for voltage you must use a 2-pole tester, such as a proper voltage indicator or a multimeter.



This looks ideal for a household starter set - multimeter, voltage indicator and dedicated continuity tester, all in a handy case: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/115/Junior-Set/

PDF brochure: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/downloadfile/115/beschreibung_1/

All in German, unfortunately, as is the blurb on each product:

Multimeter: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproductdata/487/Hexagon_55/

Voltage indicator: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/1672/2100-Alpha/

Continuity tester: http://www.amprobe.eu/de_DE/showproduct/481/TESTFIX/

but it should be available in the UK - the company is now owned by Fluke, contact them (http://www.fluke.co.uk) for info on where to buy.

If not, there are sellers in other parts of Europe: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=amprobe+("junior-set"+OR+1333)

Right now the English specs are still lurking on the Internet Time Machine from when Beha was an independent company:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060920022629/http://www.beha.com/files_uk/multimeter/93549.pdf


Also see another discussion here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=26282 It's a few years old, so specific model number advice may be obsolete (and prices will be higher), but the generic advice is still sound.

 

[cawright1]

Hi guys, ok, wall lights tested all ok, so come to fit them, was unaware of the amount oif wires on the current lights, but just need to make sure I 'm wiring correcty with the new ones. Obviously on the new lights there is no local on/off - as on the old ones - but can someone please clarify how I should wire the three wires of the new lights (left) into the old junction boxes on the right?

My thoughts are 1 to A (Blue), 2 to B (Black) , and 3 to C (Earth)? leaving the red with nothing further connected?

 

[securespark]

Blue and black on the old light fitting are both neutral.

You can't connect the new fitting to blue anyway, that's the wire to the fitting you are removing, isn't it?

Copy the connections that are there already.

Do you have a wall switch controlling the existing fittings?

If not, you need to fit switches to the replacements, otherwise they will be on all the time with no means to switch them off.

 

[cawright1]

Blue and black on the old light fitting are both neutral.

You can't connect the new fitting to blue anyway, that's the wire to the fitting you are removing, isn't it?

Yes, I meant BLUE connection.

Copy the connections that are there already.

Just need clarity on that please?

Do you have a wall switch controlling the existing fittings

YES.

So, for ease, can you tell me what numbers should go to what letters please? ie 3 - C, so where do 1 and 2 go please? (Being uncoloured I need some clarity).

 

[flameport]

The green/yellow earth wire connects to the terminal with the other green/yellow wires.

One of the white wires connects to the black, the other white wire to the red. Doesn't matter which way round.

Your labelling makes no sense, since A and B are the same terminal.

 

[cawright1]

ok, appreciate that thanks.

Just one question, the white wires are pretty thin, certainly compared to the wires in the old light. Any issues with that at all?