Ceiling light wiring question

[battles]

Hi, need some help with replacing a ceiling light. The existing wiring can be seen in first picture below, the block has four terminals - I have three red going into a 'Loop' terminal (assume this is the two circuit lives and the switch feed?), two black going into 'N', and one black going into 'L'. I'm assuming this last wire is the switch return cable?

My question is how I should wire this lot into the new light which only has 3 terminals - live, neutral and earth (see second picture)? Should I just connect the black 'L' wire into the live terminal with the three red wires? So those four in L, the other two black in N, and then the earths?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwo-jjIwzZk_Z3R4OTJjZVhtY1k/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwo-jjIwzZk_YUc3VmxPRFFobWs/view?usp=sharing

 

[endecotp]

Should I just connect the black 'L' wire into the live terminal with the three red wires?

No, obviously not. That would cause those four wires to all be joined together, which they aren't currently.

Very similar questions are asked frequently. Have a look through the forum and see if you can find one.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Don't want to be rude but what a daft question.


It works as it is therefore you must replicate it.

It has four terminals which you have correctly identified therefore ...

 

[battles]

If it was obvious to me I wouldn't be asking the question. Obvious would be a wiring system that didn't have a black cable wired as neutral and a black cable wired as live!

Is this the solution here - http://www.practicaldiy.com/electrics/lighting-wiring/light-wiring-loop.php - stick the 3 live reds in a separate terminal block, send the black L to the live terminal and the two black N to the neutral terminal?

 

[battles]

That's exactly my issue EFL - I can't just replicate it, because the new light fitting has three terminals, that's why I'm asking the question. If someone wants to help thank you very much, if someone wants to tell me I know f*** all about electrics then thanks but I already know that

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, you have actually worked it all out correctly.

You will need a fourth terminal for the loop - a separate connector block.

 

[winston1]

If someone wants to help thank you very much, if someone wants to tell me I know f*** all about electrics then thanks but I already know that

In which case you SHOULD NOT be doing this. Call in a professional electrician.

 

[winston1]

Obvious would be a wiring system that didn't have a black cable wired as neutral and a black cable wired as live!

Switched live actually, but you are right it does seem silly. Australia used white for switched cables under the red, black, green wiring system, not sure what they do with harmonised colours. France uses orange, then mauve for a second switch wire as in two way systems. But to be realistic, without all kinds of special twin and earth, or triple and earth cables such colour codes needs wiring to be singles in conduit.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I know f*** all about electrics

Perhaps then you shouldn't fiddle with things until after you've remedied that.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it was obvious to me I wouldn't be asking the question.

So it isn't obvious that if the lighting works as it should when wired as it currently is, the thing to do is to keep how it's currently wired, not change which conductors are connected together and which aren't?

 

[endecotp]

Just go to the "electrics" forum index and scroll down about half a page to find the last person asking exactly the same question, with an obvious subject like "light wiring issue", and to which answers or links to wiki pages with pictures were posted.

But do take seriously the suggestion that you shouldn't be doing this. If you get it wrong you might start a fire in your ceiling that will fill your house with smoke in the middle of the night and kill your children. Either learn how to do it properly or get an expert to do it.

 

[battles]

Thanks guys who were being helpful, got it sorted. The other ones, maybe go spend your time on somewhere which doesn't advertise itself as a place to ask questions about electricity DIY, you probably get high blood pressure on here.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The people who were advising you not to fiddle with lethal things you don't understand were being helpful, and if you don't realise that then we can add another entry to the list of things you don't understand, but should.

Let's just hope that you, or anyone unfortunate enough to suffer from what you do, never finds out the hard way that "the other ones" were giving you the best advice.