Attempting to put up new light fitting & circuit blows

[HelenRButler]

This is a bit of a long story, but please bear with me as I am desperately in need of some advice and am getting fed up of sitting in the dark!

When trying to wire up a new light yesterday, I stupidly took the old one off the ceiling without noting where all the wires went – there are 4 wires coming out of the ceiling at this lighting point, each wire then has a black, red and copper wire.

My dad brought his circuit tester around so we could work out which wire was which and we labelled the live, front room, hall and switch wires. We got the front room and hall lights working fine, so then added the remaining wire (switch) and attached the new light. Upon turning the circuit back on and testing the new light we got a spark and bang from the switch in question and also from the circuit switch. Now the only light that is working downstairs is the front room (and we can’t figure out what the kitchen light is wired to, but this doesn’t work either). All the lights upstairs work thankfully.

Help! Has anyone got any ideas or anything I can try, as me and my dad are stuck!

I hope that all makes sense!

 

[ColJack]

the blacks are not all neutrals...
a photo of what you have now would be usefull to us..

 

[HelenRButler]

How are these pics?? I haven't done this before so I don't know if they'll be big enough?

http://www.diynot.com/network/HelenRButler/albums/

 

[ColJack]

Untitled

• HelenRButler
• 30 Dec 2009
• 1

Untitled

• HelenRButler
• 30 Dec 2009
• 1

i see "front", "hall".. and what's the other one in the termninal block?

anyway..
quick fix..

put all 4 reds into one terminal block.. and all earths into another..

now.. the black that you think comes from the switch wire put in one termial on it's own..
the remaining 3 blacks go together in one terminal block..

you put your light with the live to the single black, the neutral to the 3 blacks and the earth to the earth..

the single black should be sleeved red with some sleeving.. .. or brown if you can't get red anymore..

 

[HelenRButler]

of the other 2; 1 is the main live wire and the other is the switch. There is also a very low reading from the wire that goes to the switch if that's any help?!

 

[ColJack]

you stil don't say what the other cable in the terminal block is.. we can't see from the pictures.. it has a lable on the red wire ..

 

[HelenRButler]

The one that has the red cable with the label on, is the live wire from the main unit under the stairs.

Thanks for the other suggestion, I'll give that a try in the morning.

 

[conny]

Try this;
Isolate all the electrics.
Join all the reds together as Coljack suggested.
Seperate all the blacks, (spread them out in a fan shape).
With your dads test meter set the scale to ohms Ω and touch one of the probes to the group of reds.
Now with the other probe touch each black in turn, with the light switch in the off position you will get at least one where you get no reading. (Is it a digital meter or a moving needle meter?)
When you find a black with no reading get your dad to flick the light switch on. (Still with no power on!)
If the meter registers then that black is your switch wire.
This needs to be put into a connector block on its own.
The other blacks need to be put together in another connector block, these are your neutrals.
Now you can attach your new light fitting as follows:

The brown off your light fitting should be connected to the single black from the ceiling. This single black should have a brown or red sleeve on it, if you dont have any small sleeving a piece of red or brown insulation tape will suffice.
The blue off your light fitting should now be connected to the remaining blacks in the other connector block.
All earth wires MUST have a piece of green/yellow sleeving on them. They must all then be joined together into a connector block and a 'flying' lead taken from this to a nut you should find on your light fitting.
Your fitting may already have this lead attached to it in which case connect this in with the other earth wires you have sleeved and joined together.

Coloured and earth sleeving can be bought from any electrical wholesaler and most DIY store for a few coppers.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Col, just a gentle reprimand, you should not say,

now.. the black that you think comes from the switch

The OP HAS to know and the only way to do this is to 'ring' it out with a meter.
No offence intended.

 

[HelenRButler]

Thank you for your suggestions Coljack and Conny. I'll give these things a try in the morning and let you know what happens! Fingers crossed

 

[conny]

Helen,
we have both said basically the same thing but I have tended to go into more detail.

Good luck and don't forget,

Isolate all the electrics

before you start.

 

[HelenRButler]

Thanks so much guys. I have done what you said and now have all lights working except for the living room, which is a big improvement!

Does this indicate that there is something wrong with the switch on the wall in the living room - this is the switch I got the bang and spark from yesterday?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[conny]

Does this indicate that there is something wrong with the switch on the wall in the living room

A way to test this is to again isolate you electrics.
Take the 2 wires in the switch and join them together in a connector block.
Switch on your electrics, if the light comes on you need a new switch.
You can now leave it like this overnight so you have a light in the living room then buy a switch tomorrow or you can turn off your electrics, put each wire into a seperate connector block then turn your electrics back on and use a table lamp for the night.

 

[333rocky333]

Join all the reds together
Seperate all the blacks,
With your dads test meter set the scale to ohms Ω and touch one of the probes to the group of reds.
Now with the other probe touch each black in turn, with the light switch in the off position you will get at least one where you get no reading. (Is it a digital meter or a moving needle meter?)
When you find a black with no reading get your dad to flick the light switch on. (Still with no power on!)
If the meter registers then that black is your switch wire.

Thanks so much guys. I have done what you said

Then the switch is not faulty .

 

[ColJack]

try reading all of the posts before replying..

the switch to the light he was replacing is ok, it's the switch to another light that might have blown..