Add 2 new lights on 1 switch

[EdB]

Hi,

I am trying to install 2 lantern type lights outside of my porch. I am planning on running this from a light inside the porch.

When I looked at the wiring going to the porch light I got confused!

This is what I have:
2 red wires coming from my hall light to the porch light
A red wire and a black wire coming from a switch into the porch light
The red wire coming from the switch is wrapped together with one of the red wires coming from the light in the hall.

The porch light wires connect to all of that.

Now my new stuff:
1 light switch
2 lantern style lights
lots of wire - it's grey covered inside there is a black wire, a red wire and a copper wire.

Please could someone explain how I can add a switch which will control these lanterns using the wiring already in place.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[breezer]

1st and last drawings here

 

[plugwash]

that wiring seems dodgy

2 reds?!
are theese singles in conduit?
are theese singles not in conduit (really dodgy)?
are they some kind of rubber cable?

 

[EdB]

Hi thanks for your posts

Breezer thanks for the links to the drawings, I'll come to these in a minute.
Plugwash - I thought dodgy wiring too, I am not very well up on electrics so I am not sure what you mean by in conduit or not in conduit - I thought I would be able to do this from diagrams!

OK now from the drawings I think I need to get a feed from the porch light to the light switch, then wire the first lantern to the switch then the second lantern from the first?

Am I on the right track?

Many thanks again

 

[plugwash]

my guess is those incomeing reds are your live and neutral youd need a meter to find out which is whiche

is there an earth comeing in (green/yellow green or bare)

conduit is pipe like stuff used to rin wires in

either the poarchlight was a cowboy job and the rest of the ligthing cuircuit is ok or your whole cuircuit is in likely need of replacement

get a sparks in asap

 

[EdB]

Yes I think the previous owner fitted the porch light themselves.

I've recently had an electrician in doing some work on the lights downstairs and he said everything was fine apart from the problem he was actually here to fix of course! (He didnt look at the porch light)

No, there is no earth wire coming into the porch light unless it's one of the 4 wires (2 red from hall light, 1 black and 1 red from light switch)

Anymore advise please?

Also forgot to mention - the porch light is not a rose fitting, it is just an old bayonett fitting inside a light box, it has 2 wires coming from it - a blue wire and a brown wire coated together in black.

 

[plugwash]

no earths there at all which means the existing setup is dodgy and outdoor additions would be even more so

check for an earth at the hall light
if there is no earth there either its a fairly dafe bet that the whole lighting cuircuit needs replaceing

 

[EdB]

OK thanks for your advice. This is way our of my league I think, better get a pro in! And here's me thinking it would be a cheap straight forward job!

Cheers.

 

[plugwash]

why?

putting in a lighting cuircuit from scratch is pretty easy just get a diy electrics book and follow the instructions precisely

putting in while new cuircuits is in many ways much easier than extending existing because you don't have to worry about what morons have done before