Ceiling rose wiring nightmare

[Actonboy62]

Oh dear.......I was going to take a photo of it honest, but didn't I have 4 cables coming into a ceiling rose on the landing and when I put them back again as I thought that they were my MCB keeps tripping. I have a 4 gang socket down stairs and a 2 gang upstairs.....one of the gangs on each of the sockets operate the light that I am having trouble with. I just need some help with which wires go into which bit of the block on the rose.
The 4 grounds are easy.....It's the 4 lives and 4 neutrals that I need help with.....the block has a layout of **/***/***.........please, can anyone out there help sort this out?

 

[Monkeh]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting


As you now don't know which blacks are neutral and which is the switched live you'll find a multimeter very useful to identify the cables.


BTW - they are light switches, not sockets - these are sockets:

 

[electronicsuk]

Oh dear.......I was going to take a photo of it honest, but didn't

It would have been really helpful, but we'll try.

I have 4 cables coming into a ceiling rose on the landing and when I put them back again as I thought that they were my MCB keeps tripping. I have a 4 gang socket down stairs and a 2 gang upstairs.....one of the gangs on each of the sockets operate the light that I am having trouble with. I just need some help with which wires go into which bit of the block on the rose.

This is a socket:

This is a switch:

I assume what you have are switches.

The 4 grounds are easy.....It's the 4 lives and 4 neutrals that I need help with.....the block has a layout of **/***/***.........please, can anyone out there help sort this out?

Are there any other lights that are operated by the same switch gang as this one? Normally, one would expect to see three sets of wires at the rose. Supply loop in and out, and the switch wire. The extra cable could be a switched feed to another fitting, or a feed that supplies another room entirely.

If you have access to a multimeter or some form of continuity tester, then you can do as follows:
- Isolate the supply and check for dead
- Remove all wiring from the rose, with the exception of the earths
- With the power still off and using the continuity/beeper setting, choose a pair of red/black wires (or brown/blue for newer wiring) and put the meter probes across the two
- Operate the switch. If the beeper sounds in time with the operation of the switch, then you've identified the wiring to the switch. If not, repeat for other wires until you've found the correct pair.

Once you've done that, you can then wire the rose as per the Wiki at http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

 

[Chri5]

I'm not sure I understand your syntax

I have a 4 gang socket down stairs and a 2 gang upstairs

Since you haven't played with the l/switches I'd work to the assumption that they are ok !

Of the 4 cables you have, 1 cable set will be the feed to a switch and the others are likely to be feed from previous light (live and neutral ) and the others feeding to other lights.

Can you separate all wires, tape them up activate the MCB and confirm that not only does the light you are messing around with doesn't work, but +2 others no longer work ?

Have you a multi meter ? because you will need to id the switch wire from the group of 4 cables.
With the power off and a meter set to continuity when the switch is operated (on) you will get continuity across the pair of wires- thus the switch wire will be identified.

Once this is done following the on site wiki will explain how to terminate the rest of the cables for loop in / out at a ceiling rose.

 

[Chri5]

BAS- snap

 

[ColJack]

View media item 13602 View media item 13604
( both old and new colour options shown.. )

from left to right the cables are..

switch, live in, live out.

it depends on what the 4th cable does as to where to put it..

if it's another live feed then it goes in with 5 and 6
if it's a second light switched by the same lights then it goes to 2 and 6 ( red / brown in 2 )