3 cables to very old ceiling rose.

[dano2808]

Hi,

Hopefully I'll explain this correctly, even if the terminology is a bit iffy!!

I'm hoping to fit a new kitchen light, on inspection of the exisiting wiring the are 3 separate cables coming down thru the ceiling into the fitting.

All 3 with 1 black and 1 red wire,
The 3 reds are all twisted together, 1 black from one of the cables goes to brown from the old rose fitting, and 2 of the blacks are twisted into 1 which goto the blue, the 3 twisted reds goto the earth???!!!
Its a 1920's house.
The replacement would seem simple enough to me, but for the fact the red seems to goto earth. The new light I want to fit needs to be earthed. Its one light in the room, one switch.

Would appreciate confirmation on this doubtless much asked question, but as only 2 colours I want to be sure.

Regards,

Dan.

 

[Spark123]

Do not connect the 3 reds to the earth terminal! Chances are that your old fitting had an earth terminal just for convenience which someone has (wrongly) connected the loop-in wires to.
Can you post up photos of the wiring?

 

[dano2808]

Thanks, Have uploaded the ones that came out clearest. The red came out as i took that picture, so not securely in anyway!!

 

[flameport]

Untitled

• dano2808
• 17 Oct 2010
• 1

Untitled

• dano2808
• 17 Oct 2010
• 1

No earth wires, so you cannot install the new light fitting.

Options are either get a double insulated light fitting, or rewire the circuit to include an earth.

 

[dano2808]

Sounds about right for this place! Sigh, back in the box it goes then! Thanks for your quick responses though, much appreciated. In time to put it back together b4 it gets dark.

D

 

[wingcoax]

I know it's an outside chance, BUT the earth conductor hasn't been cut back has it?

 

[WabbitPoo]

You might find an earth wire pushed back into the ceiling space. if so, it might be useful (if its connected to earth!)

 

[dano2808]

All back together again now (& not working, not bothered!!) So will have another look at those suggestions in the week, here's hoping......

 

[RF Lighting]

Even if there is a cut back earth, which it doesn't look like there is, then chances are it'll have been cut off at every other point too.

You cand just strip the cable back and connect the earth wire to the fitting and hope it works without first proving the CPC IS actually connected to earth.

It's a bit of an odd cable there. It looks like tinned copper conductors but they're not stranded

 

[sparkwright]

Nothing odd about old tinned solid core lighting cable down our way; with or without cpc.

 

[17thman]

you could blame yourself

 

[Taylortwocities]

Nothing odd about old tinned solid core lighting cable down our way; with or without cpc.

Could even be aluminium.

 

[securespark]

Indeed. It looks like alu to me.

The older ceiling accessories often had a loop terminal that could be mistaken for an earth terminal.