Help with Ceiling Light fitting please

[gazfocus]

I have bought a new 3 light ceiling light to replace the standard light in my study (and if I get this working I'll be changing the lights in the living room). Anyway, the cables I have coming down from the ceiling are two cables with 1 x red, 1 x black and 1 x earth and one cable with 2 x red and 1 x earth.

The light fitting I've bought says to not use the earth so I have put those in a terminal block to join them together, but there is only 2 wires on the light fitting (blue and brown).

I followed the instructions from the manufacturer and from both cables with red/black/earth, I put the 2 reds and 2 blacks in to the terminal block to connect to the cables in the fitting and the light works but the switch doesn't.

What do I do with the extra 2 red cables and how do I get the switch working?

 

[EdwardCurrent]

Hello Gazfocus.
Have a look in the wikki for lighting diagrams, should get the info you need from there.
Do you own a multimeter, and know how to use it ?

It sounds like you may have LNE, (one cable) and switch 'line' and 'return' ( the red/red)
Your incoming 'feed' would connect to your switch line, and the return would connect to your light 'live'. My explanation is not very good, sorry, the wikki will be of more help I hope.

All the best, and make sure its 'dead' before doing any connecting etc.


Ed

 

[Steve]

connect the TWO BLACKS to the fitting as LIVE AND NEUTRAL.

Connect the remaining two REDS together in terminal block, as you did the earths.

One of the blacks is SWITCHED LIVE.
One of the blacks is NEUTRAL.

It normally matters not, which way you connect them, although if you are using a screw-in fitting you should pay attention to this.

 

[EdwardCurrent]

Hello Steve

I thought he may have a red/red T&E going off to the switch ??



Ed

 

[gazfocus]

Just found this which looks very similar. I'm pretty sure the light switch has 2 red wires but I don't know which one is which coming out of the ceiling. Don't own a multimeter and wouldn't know how to use it.

Do the earths need to be joined together (i.e. either side of the terminal block) or all in seperate parts of the block as I don't have an earth on the light fitting.

 

[EdwardCurrent]

Make a note of what is connected to where now.


All your 'earth' conductors should be sleeved and put into a common connector block.

Turn relevant Lighting circuit OFF.

Connect the red from the R/Blk conductor cable, to one of the reds in the R/R cable, then the other red from the R/R cable to your light, the Blk conductor should go in the lights 'N' terminal. Check your earths are all connected as above.

Turn circuit back on.
If not try swapping the conductors at the switch.

Does this work ????

 

[gazfocus]

ok, thanks - I'll try that when I get home.

Just to make sure I've got everything clear:

- The red wire from both blk/red wires join together
- The earth wires all join together
- The black wire from both blk/red wires join the blue wire in my new fitting
- One red wire from red/red should go to the brown wire in my new fitting
- One red wire from red/red should join the other red wires from the blk/red wires

Is that right?

 

[EdwardCurrent]

I believe so.

Buying a multimeter on your way home would make things a lot safer/easier for you to be honest, and if I am incorrect in my assumptions then armed with the meter, you will be able to identify exactly which conductor goes where.