cables coming through ceiling

[jim gilmour]

have managed to get the ceiling rose of and coming through the ceiling is 2 back and 1 red cable the two black cables are joined as one is this ok

 

[securespark]

It sounds as if you have an older style of wiring where the switch wire (the single red) comes from the switch and the neutrals (the two blacks) loop in and out of the fitting.

The two blacks join to each other and to the N terminal. The single red connects to the L side of the lamp holder(s).

 

[plugwash]

It depends.

If your wiring is done with individual wires in conduit, then it's perfectly normal to wire like this with permanent live looping from one switch to the next, neutral looping from one light fitting to the next, and switch live running from each switch to it's corresponding light. Proper conduit wiring would have the ceiling rose mounted on a conduit box, so the single insulated conductors are contained within the wiring system.

It's also possible to do the same thing with insulated and sheathed single cores.

but if you don't see signs of a conduit box and the wires do not have sheaths, then it seems like your system has been bodged. It may have been conduit system but the conduit components have not been properly preserved on subsequent modification. Someone may have used conduit singles without actually enclosing them in conduit, or it may be wired in T&E with a connector of some sort stuffed up in the celing void.

Also you make no mention of earth. There should be an earth to every point on a wiring system, though in the case of a metal conduit system the conduit itself may form the earth.

 

[sparkwright]

It sounds as if you have an older style of wiring where the switch wire (the single red) comes from the switch and the neutrals (the two blacks) loop in and out of the fitting.

The two blacks join to each other and to the N terminal. The single red connects to the L side of the lamp holder(s).

OR, it's t+e. and there is a connector stuff up in the ceiling void.