ceiling wiring problem

[spartak]

hi hope someone can help
i'm going to change the ceiling rose with a 4light halogen spotlight.
looking inside the rose fitment it has
1. grey wire with red, black, earth inside, which go to loop, neutral, earth respectively
2. grey wire with red, black, earth inside, which go to loop, neutral, earth respectively
3.grey wire with red, red, earth, which go to loop, switch, earth.
now i thought that the red wire from the light switch on the wall, (who's colours are red black earth by the way )would go to the "switch" connection on the ceiling. but one of the reds from (3. grey wire red, red, earth) is using that. by switch i mean the one that connects to the live brown wire for the light
so basically not sure now which wire is switching the light on lol, so i don't know which wires to fit in the new light, and which loop wires to fit in a seperate choc box.
could anyone shed anything
thanks
jon

 

[ban-all-sheds]

See the For Reference section.

1. grey wire with red, black, earth inside, which go to loop, neutral, earth respectively

Normal.

2. grey wire with red, black, earth inside, which go to loop, neutral, earth respectively

Normal.

3.grey wire with red, red, earth, which go to loop, switch, earth.

Normal.

now i thought that the red wire from the light switch on the wall, (who's colours are red black earth by the way )would go to the "switch" connection on the ceiling.

So the switch cable is red/red at the rose and red/black at the switch?
Sure that the one at the rose is not red/black with red sleeving?
With red/black it's usual, BTW, for red to be used for the permanent live, and black (sleeved red if a proper job is done) for the switched live.

i don't know which wires to fit in the new light, and which loop wires to fit in a seperate choc box.
could anyone shed anything
thanks
jon

You're fortunate in having a red/red switch cable, as it's easily identifiable. Doesn't matter which red you connect with the loop wires and which to the brown of the light if it's just a simple one-gang one-way switch.

 

[spartak]

hi
yes the wires at the ceiling rose are definitely red, red, earth. and not red, black with some red sleeving. so is there any way it could be wired up wrongly or do you think there may be a choc box or junction somewhere in the loft where the wires have changed colour.

either way do you think it would be safe to try (without blowing my new light or dimmer switch)one of the red, red, wires for my new light fitment, with both blacks in the neutral, and the three earths. then a seperate choc for the remaining loop red's

crabtree 400w remote dimmer single gang 1 way
4 x 50w halogen spots

cheers jon

 

[slippyr4]

either way do you think it would be safe to try (without blowing my new light or dimmer switch)one of the red, red, wires for my new light fitment, with both blacks in the neutral, and the three earths. then a seperate choc for the remaining loop red's

If you wired it up like that (ie, exactly the same connections as in the original rose) it would work. Whether it'd be safe or not, who knows. For piece of mind, i'd want to know why the switch wire is red/red and one end and red/black at the other.