4 x three core cables for one light and switch?

[braw]

Me again. With more home electrical madness.

I have a light fitting in a small bedroom with one light switch, nothing more nothing less, but after removing the ceiling rose I found this...

Which, upon removing I've ended up with 4 x three core cables... so I've capped the earth wires off with blocks as the light fitting is double insulted and doesn't need an earth:

But the question is... how do I know what to connect to junction blocks and which one to use to connect to the IKEA wires that go to the light bulb? There's four 'lives' and four 'neutrals' and I need to connect one of each to the IKEA live/neutral wires. I had a similar issue before but with only two three core cables; one was the main live core running through house and the other was the core cable running from the light switch; so they went in a loop.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Many thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You need to wire it up like it was before,
One of those blue conductors used to have a brown sleeve on it. You will need to remember which blue it was, and connect that blue to the brown connector on the light.

Then you'll need some insulated terminal blocks. All of the earth conductors in one. All of the brown conductors in another. The remaining 3 blue conductors in another, and those connect to the blue wire on the light.

 

[braw]

UPDATE:

I tested the cables when the power was on and the cables on the left are the main live core and the other 3 x three core cables are for the other rooms so it's looping all those off this. So now I just need to work out which cables to connect in a loop and which ones to use to connect to my new light fitting.

 

[braw]

Thanks @Taylortwocities, that makes sense. Is there any way to know which blue cable had the brown sleeve on it? I guess not it fell off when I was out the room.

 

[Taylortwocities]

UPDATE. MORE

There's four 'lives' and four 'neutrals'

There is not. There are four lives, three neutrals and one switched live.

The blue with the brown sleeve will be the cable that comes from the switch. You will need a test meter to find out which one it is.

PS. Note that if you leave the wires like that, firstly at least one of them will be live, so i hope that you have the power off! Secondly you will find that the lights in other room(s) and probably the loft will not work untill you connect them up again.

 

[braw]

The blue with the brown sleeve will be the cable that comes from the switch. You will need a test meter to find out which one it is.

PS. Note that if you leave the wires like that, firstly at least one of them will be live, so i hope that you have the power off! Secondly you will find that the lights in other room(s) and probably the loft will not work untill you connect them up again.

You're dead right. Thanks for this. The other rooms/loft do not work as you say. The power is off, don't worry I switched it on to test which one was live; with a test meter.

So the blue that had the brown sleeve, when switched on, should be live too? Also, in my picture when I show the earths in a connector block... I am having to fit four lives into one... it's almost impossible. Is there anything else I could do with these blocks?

 

[Iggifer]

Get a bigger connector block?

To find the switch live, turn the power off. Get an assistant to operate the light switch, set your meter to continuity and test between blue & brown - with the switch closed, you will have continuity and with it open, you won't. This will be the blue you need to resleeve brown and connect them up as above/before.

 

[braw]

Get a bigger connector block?

I couldn't find any anywhere at B&Q and online? Am I missing something?

To find the switch live, turn the power off. Get an assistant to operate the light switch, set your meter to continuity and test between blue & brown - with the switch closed, you will have continuity and with it open, you won't. This will be the blue you need to resleeve brown and connect them up as above/before.

I don't think I have the right meter... damn.

 

[sparkwright]

You must NOT cap off all the earth wires indiviually like you have shown, regardless of whether the new fitting requires an earth or not.

All those earths go to other parts of the lighting circuit which WILL require an earth.

You MUST ensure all those earth wires are joined together.

 

[braw]

You MUST ensure all those earth wires are joined together.

Okay will do! Thanks! Any idea about these 'large connector blocks' I have no idea?

 

[sparkwright]

You can put two wires in one end of the connector, and the other two wires in the other end - to save you getting some more.

The connector blocks should be 5 amp or greater.

 

[sparkwright]

Also, it would be sensible to cut the copper ends off the ends of those wires and re-strip.

They look brittle, because where the terminal is tightened, the wire gets squashed and weakened.

 

[sparkwright]

If you have access above (ie if this is an upstairs room and there is a loft) you can trace which of those wires go back to switch (hopefully anyway).

 

[braw]

You can put two wires in one end of the connector, and the other two wires in the other end - to save you getting some more.

The connector blocks should be 5 amp or greater.

Where can I buy large connector blocks? My connector blocks were 3 amp so do they need to be 5amp or greater as I would be adding two wires into one end?

 

[flameport]

Connectors: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-white-15a-6-way-cable-connector-strip/178058_BQ.prd
Test meter: http://www.diy.com/hand-tools/pocket-digital-multimeter/541251_BQ.prd
Brown tape to identify the switched line: http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-brown-insulating-tape-l10m/178074_BQ.prd