fuse box keeps popping when i turn bathroom light on :-(

[amatuer]

Hi.
Having been on forums before I know this will infuriate some as its probably a simple thing and answered somewhere already but I have a time issue. If I do t fix this before my Mrs gets back she'll have a mini fit.
Anyway. I recently took down an old bathroom light fitting to replace with another but her dad did it cause he's better at this sort of thing. The point is I don't know what the wiring looked like previously. He left it with all the live connected to live and neutral to neutral butwhen iI turn on the light the fuse pops downstairs.
Pics attached. How do I connect this up? Three cables coming out the ceiling is confusing me....

 

[EFLImpudence]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting-Circuit-layouts

 

[AndyPRK]

Untitled

• amatuer
• 26 Apr 2014
• 1

Untitled

• amatuer
• 26 Apr 2014
• 1

The common problem is that all reds and all blacks are connected together, which is not what you do for lights and causes fuse/trip to go.

You need to identify the switch cable (which your father in law may have left disconnected. )

The red of this cable gets connected to the other reds.

The black has a bit of red tape or sleeve on it and gets connected into the light fitting L terminal.

A multimeter can be used to identify the switch cable.
With it set to continuity, so it beeps when the probes are connected together, with the power off, connect probes up to the red and black of each cable.

The cable that causes the meter to beep when the switch is operated is the switch cable.

 

[amatuer]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics%3ALighting-Circuit-layouts

 

[securespark]

If her Dad cocked it up, why are you fixing it? And taking the blame if she has a minifit?

 

[AndyPRK]

Last one to touch it gets the blame?

 

[amatuer]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I thought it might be straightforward but it seems I need a bit more expertise/equipment.
Im going to call an electrician. The fuse box uses fuse wire and my neighbour says the electrics in these houses are strange. My plumbing is the same but that's another story.
Anyway thanks for helping. Much appreciated.

PS her dad is on holiday now so I'll blame him and she can sod off

 

[AndyPRK]

A cheap multi meter is about £10 upwards?

Might be easier than waiting for an electrician. I hear they can be very unreliable.

 

[amatuer]

£10 isn't bad actually....
Hmm. Now I'm tempted to do it..

 

[AndyPRK]

Problem is that some of the lights won't work till its sorted

 

[amatuer]

Yeah none of the lights work! Amazingly.
Its not too bad. There are lamps in every room so I'm not in the dark totally. Except the bathroom obviously. I'll just have to light the one billion candles she has in there cause she's a woman and has to have candles everywhere. They stink of roses and other flora so this will be a good excuse to get rid of some of them until its sorted.

 

[AndyPRK]

Oh bliss I'm sure you love each other.

Separating all the blacks and replacing the fuse wire with the correct size should get some lights working.

 

[RF Lighting]

We must have been asked this same question every single day for the past two weeks.

What is so hard about looking in the wiki?


http://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:lighting_problems_blackswlive

 

[sparkwright]

If this is a bathroom, there may be a loft space above.

If so, you can go up there and find which of those cables go to the switch.

Then you will be ready to connect up the light correctly.

 

[flyingsparks]

Yeah none of the lights work! Amazingly.
Its not too bad. There are lamps in every room so I'm not in the dark totally. Except the bathroom obviously. I'll just have to light the one billion candles she has in there cause she's a woman and has to have candles everywhere. They stink of roses and other flora so this will be a good excuse to get rid of some of them until its sorted.

This solves your worries of her having a mini fit! Hot bath, candles lit,bottle of wine, and when she comes in the door tell her you have run her a bath! Who knows it may work!