Help with light

[paul74]

Hi guys

I have purchased a house that needed the kitchen finishing and now that has been done I have a problem with the lights.

I have a ceiling light which is controlled by a single switch with a red and black wire (thin wires) operating it and a earth.
In this box I have also got a new cable which has brown and blue wires with a un insulated earth.

In the ceiling there are 4 new spot lights with no transformers and I have found out that they connect directly to a mains supply.I have taken up the floor boards above and found the same cable connected to the spotlights.It is deffinatley the same cable as I have tested it.

Ok.I was expecting to pop on a new 2 gang switch and be able to connect this up but I think it is alot more involved than that.

I can run a power supply to the spotlights but not the switch as all has been decoated tiled etc and am not wanting to start chopping chasses in the walls etc.

I would like to run both main light and spotlights seperatley using the switch,but if I have to use a switch under say the eye line unit then I can.


Hope somebody can help ?

Many thanks

Paul

 

[Chri5]

I have a ceiling light which is controlled by a single switch with a red and black wire (thin wires) operating it and a earth.
In this box I have also got a new cable which has brown and blue wires with a un insulated earth.

All a switch does is switch live between the supply and the lamp or lamps.

So if you have 2 x cables at the switch box you need to trace these.

One can be used to switch lights A (say main lights) and the other to switch light B (say d/lights).

Have a look at the on site DIYnot Wiki, there's heeps of info about lights and switching with diagrams for ease of job.

If you can't get your head round them, then I'd suggest you seek pro onsite advice. You might not be aware, but the Part P rules make new lights in a kitchen a notifiable job. Either you or an electrician (via his scheme provider) should tell the Council.

 

[Taylortwocities]

In the ceiling there are 4 new spot lights with no transformers and I have found out that they connect directly to a mains supply.I have taken up the floor boards above and found the same cable connected to the spotlights.It is deffinatley the same cable as I have tested it.

l

Need some clarifiaction.

The spotlights you say are connected to the mains supply, so are they on all the time, or are they off?

How do they connect? Is there some kind of junction box? How does the cable from the switch connect to the lights?
If there is a junction box I'll need a picture with soemthing idetifying what each cable is and where it goes.

 

[paul74]

The spotlights are connected to a cable which runs into the main kitchen box and are not connected to anything.

Looks like the guy wanted to use the main switch to operate the spotlights.
All there is in this switch is a red and black wire connected which operates the main light.

Sorry wasn't very clear !

regards

paul

 

[paul74]

The spotlights are connected to a cable via block connector and runs I guess down the wall and into the kitchen light switch box where it is unconnected.I have powered up these wires and the spotlights come on

Hope that makes things clearer

Regards
Paul

 

[Taylortwocities]

Not quite,
so
you have the spotlights and they are connected to a block connector up in the ceiling?

the only other wire connected to this block connector is the cable that runs to the switch box and this cable is not connected to any switch?

Is that right? If so can you explain what this is:

I have found out that they connect directly to a mains supply.

Where is this "mains supply"? is it on a lighting circuit? how does it relate to the new lights?

 

[paul74]

Thanks for reply ttc

The spotlights are connected via a block connector in the ceiling and this cable runs to the kitchen light switch and looks like it is ready to be connected to the 'mains supply' within the switch

Sorry Difficult to explain and no way of loading up a pic

 

[Taylortwocities]

I see. Your problem is that their isnt a "mains supply" in the switch.
There is a live but you will need a neutral as well.

There should be live, neutral and earth at the existing light point in the kitchen.

 

[paul74]

So basically I need to wire a neutral into the switch ?

As all decorating has been done I am unable to do this ?

But I can mount a switch under a eye level cupboard from a feed from say a plug socket and run this up into the ceiling and connect to the block connector (with twin and earth cable) for the spotlights.What fuse rating would I use in the plug ?

Really annoyed this has happened as I want to use a double switch

 

[Taylortwocities]

Can you get to the existing kitchen light - you said that you had lifted the floorboards.

There should be a live and neutral there. You may be able to use this by running a wire to the downlights connection block.

 

[paul74]

Yes it's a bugger but I can.

How would that all work ?

How would the switch be wired ?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Make sure you've got live & neutral there before u rip up too many floorbaords. how many cbales go to that light, is it more than one?

If you've got live and neutral there then you need to run a cable with LN&E to the downlights connection block. Then its like a normal lighting circuit. Details on STICKY at the top of the forum.

 

[paul74]

Was to dark to look earlier.

To my knowledge (I replaced the main lights a couple of weeks ago)
I think there was 3 black and red wires and an earth

 

[Taylortwocities]

The you've almost certainly got what you need for the feed right there.

 

[paul74]

So I can use a block connector to 'tap into' the existing light,connect that into the spotlights and then with the existing cable run this from the spotlights to the switch and wire that as normal.

Does it matter where in the spotlight 'loom' the wires to the switch go ? or even where the supply from the main light comes in ?