wiring a new light fitting

[jenni2777]

hi im in need of some help .i have just brought a new light fitting with three wires live,neut and earth .i have taken off the old one to find a 4 hole terminal with four wires coming out earth ,live neut and one black with a yellow band round it .these are all in separate holes .which holes do i put the new fitting wires in ?

 

[Chri5]

The same as the old fitting.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The same as the old fitting.

i have just brought a new light fitting with three wires live,neut and earth .i have taken off the old one to find a 4 hole terminal with four wires coming out earth ,live neut and one black with a yellow band round it .these are all in separate holes

 

[tim west]

I believe Chri5 meant what terminals to put the new fittings wires into, thats how i read his reply?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

which holes do i put the new fitting wires in ?

Your old light has 4 terminals - do you only have 4 wires going to it (i.e. one per terminal), or do some of them have more than one in? Either way, don't remove any until you've marked them and made notes so that you can tell what goes/went where, particularly if there are more than 4.

Can you see from looking at the old light which of the 4 terminals is connected to something inside the light?

Basically your problem is that you've bought a light which is not designed to be fitted to a traditional UK lighting circuit which loops through the ceiling fittings. You can fit it, but you'll need a piece of choc-block, and if there's nowhere inside the light to tuck it, a choc-box.

Read the articles here: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting to learn how lighting circuits are wired, and why you might need 4 terminals, not 3, and particularly study //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:rose.

Right now all the images have disappeared from the Wiki, so you'll need to check back later to see if they've been fixed.

 

[jenni2777]

there are more than one wire of each going into a block each colour is in its own section .i think its a chocbkx but i havent seen any pics so i dont know the other side is empty with for wholes for the new wires to go into .i couldnt remember which wires went where.. so i cannot do it same as the old fitting. for example will the lives go opposite the lives already in the block and earth go opposite that other earth .but i would like to know what is the black wire with a yellow label round it??

 

[tim west]

but i would like to know what is the black wire with a yellow label round it??

Its usually a way that an electrician would identify the switchline as opposed to a neutral though not necessarily with yellow tape or label(anything written on it?). In saying that do not assume anything and you'll now probably need the assistance of a meter to check out the wiring as you cant remember the previous way it was connected either that or consult a competent person or electrician to help you if you are not confident yourself.

 

[jenni2777]

hi yes the black with the tape around is the switch wire .so where do the light fitting wires go .are they adjacent to the same type .and nothing goes oposite the switch wire

 

[ban-all-sheds]

there are more than one wire of each going into a block each colour is in its own section

More than 4 internal to the light, or more than 4 from the house wiring going into the light?

The traditional way of wiring lights in this country would give you a minimum of 9 wires at each point apart from the last light in the circuit. The diagrams are back up in the Wiki now, so if you look at the articles there you'll see why.

i couldnt remember which wires went where..

don't remove any until you've marked them and made notes so that you can tell what goes/went where

Hopefully you'll also be able to see, from studying the info in the Wiki, what you now need to work out in terms of which wire is which.

Did any other lights stop working when you removed the old one?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

hi yes the black with the tape around is the switch wire .so where do the light fitting wires go .are they adjacent to the same type .and nothing goes oposite the switch wire

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[jenni2777]

nothing stopped working .the wires from the ceiling are still in the choc box .i havent touched them. but i have three wires on my new light fitting and just wondering where to put them

 

[stargazer]

Jenni, you have been given enough information to answer your question, and if you're still struggling maybe it's time to get an electrician in, no offence intended.

You must be confident that you have correctly identified the terminals in the ceiling, which involves the use of test equipment.
You must safely isolate the power to your lighting circuit before starting work. Do you know how to do this? Switching the light off at the wall won't do.
Have you considered how the new light will be mounted on the ceiling and will it be able to safely house the new connections? This can be a real pain with new fittings.

Have a look at the link below

http://www.partp.co.uk/common/search.asp

 

[ban-all-sheds]

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