four kitchen spot lights

john21f · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:19 pm Post Subject: four kitchen spot lights

i am trying to wire a 4 spot light to an exsisting light fitment but when i fit it the light stays on and will not switch at switch at wall

davy_owen_88 · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:23 pm Post Subject:

You've connected the permanent live to the fitting instead of the switched live. How many cables are coming from the ceiling? There may be a black or blue wire with a red or brown sleeve over it - that is the switched live.

Davy

john21f · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:47 pm Post Subject:

i have four cables all joined together 4 red wires 4 black

Steve · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:44 pm Post Subject:

john21f wrote:

i have four cables all joined together 4 red wires 4 black

Why did you do this? It wasn't wired like this before. Did it not occur to you that the way it was wired before was the only correct way to do it?

Unless you have a multimeter or can remember where each core went before, you're in trouble.

Also, when you flick the switch (switching it "on"), the circuit should stop working and the protective device should operate, since you've connected it across live and neutral, creating a dead short (thousands of amps).

john21f · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:48 pm Post Subject:

it was already like this i have not changed

john21f · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:48 pm Post Subject:

it was already like this i have not changed

RF Lighting · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:32 pm Post Subject:

So your old light stayed on all the time too?

Is your lightswitch turned on or off?

Does the fuse blow when you try to switch the light switch on?

http://wiki.diynot.com/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

__________________
I

downlights

securespark · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:45 pm Post Subject:

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

baldersj · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:53 am Post Subject:

PLUS: No earth? I'm guessing that the new fitting might be a nice shiny steel one, maybe to match stainless steel switchplates?
If so, they MUST be earthed. Are there any bare, or green & yellow sleeved, wires at the ceiling rose?

john21f

if you cannot give a [proper deduction or solution you ie the qualified are no better than me

Chri5 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:55 am Post Subject:

You cheeky £$%er

That sort of remark will get you this sort of reply

If you would like to start over, then supply more accurate detail and we can move this forward, in a 'nice' way, you getting on a high horse will simply mean no one will help.

FFS are you daft or what?

Let's confirm a few things?

1. Does any of the existing cabling in the ceiling have twin wire plus earth?
2. When you refer to four wires at the ceiling rose (reds and blacks) are these from the new (4 spot lamp fitting) or what you are attempting to connect your wires from the new fitting on to?
3. Does the new fitting have a earth connector?

With all lights you will have a switch cable, this (as mentioned)switches the live for the light. Often these are identified with a brown or red sleeve over the cores, sometimes they are not identified due to poor previous work practices.

At the ceiling rose this accounts for 1 set of cores in a cable, you should then have other cores, representing the feed of live / neutral and earth from other lights, and the feed of live / neutral and earth to other light fittings.

You now need to identify the wires and I'm not interested in telling you how, even if I did I'm not sure you'd do it correctly.

Hopefully a call out sparks might charge you enough to make you understand what humility is / means

bernardgreen

john21f wrote:

if you cannot give a [proper deduction or solution you ie the qualified are no better than me

Other than by checking and noting how the old lamp was connected before removing wires from terminals the qualified person will be able to solve the problem.

Even the most qualified person needs some information to solve a problem. And the qualified person knows the questions to ask to get the relevent information.

baldersj

john21f wrote:

if you cannot give a [proper deduction or solution you ie the qualified are no better than me

Aah, but I'm not the one whose lights don't work.
If you're on here asking for help then wind yer neck in!

john21f · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:29 pm Post Subject:

There are no earth wires the black and red cables are under the upstairs floorboards there is no switch wire the wires on the lamp are brown and blue if i connect brown to red and blue to black the light stays on

john21f

baldersj wrote:

john21f wrote:

if you cannot give a [proper deduction or solution you ie the qualified are no better than me

Aah, but I'm not the one whose lights don't work.
If you're on here asking for help then wind yer neck in!