Bathroom wiring problem (white wires)

skb7 · 27 Jul 2008

Hello,

I'm replacing a bathroom light for a Vulcan Flush. The problem is with the wiring of the existing light. There are the usual Live, Earth and Neutral plus two white wires. What are these for, are they the Loop?

Kind Regards,

m

RF Lighting · 27 Jul 2008

Dunno.

Any chance of a photo?

skb7 · 27 Jul 2008

Cheers mate, I shall post one soon.

skb7 · 27 Jul 2008

I think i've worked it out

Wiring Plan

skb7
27 Jul 2008
1

Light wiring

skb7
27 Jul 2008
1

Both the white wires go into a liver and neutral respectively. So i'm assuming one is live and one neutral?

Thanks for this, as it's a Sunday as well

m

JohnEBoca · 27 Jul 2008

The White Wires are L n N to the Lamp Holder.

For decoration or changing the Lamp Holder, these wires can be disconnected without the need removing the back plate/ceiling holder.

It then can be capped, using a Blanking Cap, so making safe untill future access is needed.

skb7 · 27 Jul 2008

Thanks for that.

For some reason they haven't marked which is Live and which Neutral on the new light fitting. One has 450v marked next to and one 2.5. Which is which?

m

Taylortwocities · 27 Jul 2008

If they are not marked then it doesnt matter which way round they go.

What type of lamp is it? BAyonet fitting or screw type?

conny · 27 Jul 2008

Looking at your pic an easy way to 'know' which is which is by the number of terminals.
The left hand block has only 2 connectors, this is the switch live terminal. The right hand one has 3 and this is used for your neutrals.
Bit concerned that there is only one cable coming in, are there JBs in the ceiling void?

Taylortwocities · 27 Jul 2008

Dont confuse him Conny. It may be on older house with all of the lighting circuits going to one of those multi boxes, or the connx might be in the light switch.

Its easy, two wires, clearly switched live and neutral and two wires to the (B&Q?) light. End of.

skb7 · 27 Jul 2008

The photo is of the one i"m replacing.

It's a screw lamp.

The new one is straight forward it just doesn't tell you which is live and which neutral.

There is one connector block with with 2 wires connected to from the light fitting, one is Live and the other Neutral, don't know which is which. The other side of the connector has 2 empty spaces for the Live and Neutral from the supply.

All i need to do is connect the Live wire to the live conductor or plug terminal marked L and the Blue to the Neutral or terminal marked N.
Except there are no such markings. I'll have to take it apart and check the colourings. How annoying.

thanks

m

Taylortwocities · 27 Jul 2008

Its probably an E27 fitting so it doesnt really matter which way round they go.

If you want to be a purist, the wire that goes to the pin at the bottom of the lamp holder is the live (>brown) and the one connected to the outside threaded bit is the neutral (>blue).

Dont beat yourself up over it, it wont explode if you have them the other way round.

ban-all-sheds · 27 Jul 2008

You shouldn't dismiss that as "purist" - it's there for a very real reason - if the outer thread is live the you could come into contact with it via then lamp thread when changing the lamp. If the centre contact is live you can't.

As for 2 white wires, can I not see, even in that fuzzy photo, a bit of red at the rose end of the LH wire?

Are we looking at 2 white wires, or 1 red & 1 black with heat-resistant sleeving on them?

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Bathroom wiring problem (white wires)

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