Blown fuse/MCB on a Wylex box

[sarah_m_doherty]

Hello. I am also a new user.
I have recently moved into a house by myself, and today I put in a light fitting in one of the bedrooms. When I went to the fuse box to turn things on again, I turned on the red button on the far right and that was fine. I then began flicking up the switches from left to right, - sockets, cooker etc and then I came to lighting. When I did that the switch flicked itself back down again and there was a sound like something had blown.
On the far left of the Wylex box there are some yellow plastic buttons/cards with the zig zag hazard sign on them. Are these the MCBs rather than traditional fuses. How shoulds I get the electricity back working again. Also do you think it is something to do with the way I wired up the light fitting? (althought
I am very sure I wired it up porperly as I have done it beofre a few times)
Any help at all would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[RF Lighting]

I'm not sure what the yellow zig zag things are?

Any chance you could post us a picture of the offending item? (click my signature to find out how)


As for the reason for your fuse blowing, have a read of this:

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:blackswlive

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

The yellow things look like little plastic tabs.
I cannot send you a pic as my mobile is out of action after losing it at the weekend and I do not have a digital camera!
The only thing I can think of is that after reading that article you directed me to, that I am getting the red/black/blue and brown wired confused. It is an old house and has 2 red wires, a black wire and a green earth wire coming out of the ceiling. I have taken the black to be Neutral and the Red wire to be live. I also have attached (because the origianl black and reds weren't long enough) a blue to the end of the black wire and a brown to the end of the red wire. This was the way I found the previous fitting wired.
I am going to try undoing my work and trying the fuse box then
Thanks for your help

 

[Adam_151]

I'd like to suggest you keep your fingers away from those yellow things with the electricty hazard symbol on them, they carry that for a reason

If they are what I think they are (busbar tab covers), then they are little plastic covers on a live busbar!, you should have blanks in the unused way of your CU and shouldn't be able to see them with teh cover in place

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

Hi.
Ok, I have undone my "handywork" and turned on the electricity again. All the lights are working as normal (except the one I was installing) It is therefore not a prob;em with the Wylex fus box but it was just that the light was wired up worng. I thinkyou may have been right about the common misunderstanding about the red and Black wires. The black may actually be Live.I will have a look at the diagram and try it again tomorrow in better light.
Thanks very much to all of you

 

[GaryMo]

You have two reds, one black and one green/yelllow cable?
Can you see the outer sheath of the cables? eg grey or white sheath if cable is twin and earth? If so, which cores belong to which cable?
Are you sure another core hasn't snapped off assuming the cabling is as I typed above?

Can you remember how the old fitting was connected?

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

Hi.
YTes, I appear to have 2 red, one balck and one green. The very outer sheath thatnhouses them all is black rubber. Not sure if that is what you mean.

As for the wiring of the previous fitting, it was just a straightforward bulb whereas I am putting on a light fitting. Don't know if that makes a diference.
As far as I remember the previous fitting was as follows:

From left to right Far left was the eartn wire, next was a red wire and then black. Out the bottom of the black wiring (The hole underneath it) was a blue wire. Underneath the red wire (the hole underneath, there was a brown wire) These blue and brown wires appear to have been extending the blue and red wires respectively as the black and red were very short. I wired the light fitting up in this way.

The light fitting as it comes has blue in N and brown in Live and then the Earth wire.

Can'tr understand how I might do this differently tomorrow come to think of it..unless one of the red wires is not live, but is Neutral in which case the black is the live wire or switched live

Am I best buying a multimeter or getting an electrician in? Not sure it's that hard??

 

[GaryMo]

Are all cores part of the same cable (unlikely) or separate cables?

Where was the other red wire connected?

A multimeter will be a great addition to your toolbox and will help you out on not just this occasion but many others. You don't need to spend a fortune either.

 

[luminaire]

The very outer sheath thatnhouses them all is black rubber.

That sounds dodgy.
Could it be that your wiring is due for a rewire?

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

Hi.

I don't think the other red wire was connected at all. In fact now I think about it I am not sure what I did with it. I think I just left it hanging there as I had my L and N and E. The copper of the Green and the Red cables are twisted round at the ends, the black cable is a single copper wire and the other red is a single copper wire. Does this twisting round of the copper wires mean anything.

With regard to the last post, I have only moved into the house about 8 weeks ago. It is an old house and a re-wire is on the cards. However, the guy who lived here last was an electrician so I assumed that he has left things satisfactorily.

Can I just clarify that, assuming the Black wire is Not a switched live and it is in fact the N, that it is alright to extend the black cable with a blue one so it reaches its destination?

Thanks

PS: What colour should the core housing be in a re-wired/modern house?

 

[Steve]

With regard to the last post, I have only moved into the house about 8 weeks ago. It is an old house and a re-wire is on the cards. However, the guy who lived here last was an electrician so I assumed that he has left things satisfactorily.

You'd be surprised They say an electricians house is most likely to be full of dodgy surprises! Then again they are the most careful with electricity so it doesn't matter.

And the outer sheath should be grey or white PVC in a new wire-up.

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

Can I just clarify that, assuming the Black wire is Not a switched live and it is in fact the N, that it is alright to extend the black cable with a blue one so it reaches its destination?

Thanks

 

[sarah_m_doherty]

Done and dusted.
Thanks for all your help