Installing external light

[Ben James]

Hi all, I hope someone can help me. I've moved in to a property and I'm trying to complete jobs myself and learning along the way.

I want to fit an external security light, there is mains wiring present from a previous light, I intended on using a junction box and fitting the new light to it in this way.

The grey mains cord is made up of an exposed copper wire, a blue neutral wire and a brown live wire - the brown and blue were connected to the fuse in the picture which then ran into the previous light.

The issue I've had is the fuse will not fit into the junction box I've bought, on the previous light, where the cable met the light the screw fitting housed the fuse which was then attached to the light.

How do I connect this light to this cable? Is there another way / should I use a different junction box?

Also, why was the previous light wired with just a neutral and live where as the new light also has an earth? (I assume the new light could have been wired straight to a 3 pin plug?)

Please see attached pictures, any help is much appreciated, thankyou for your time.

Attached is a picture of the light itself, the fuse where the mains cable was fitted to and the junction box I have.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi all, I hope someone can help me. I've moved in to a property and I'm trying to complete jobs myself and learning along the way.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+house+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  
  
• https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index

The grey mains cord is made up of an exposed copper wire, a blue neutral wire and a brown live wire - the brown and blue were connected to the fuse in the picture which then ran into the previous light.

The issue I've had is the fuse will not fit into the junction box I've bought, on the previous light, where the cable met the light the screw fitting housed the fuse which was then attached to the light.

How do I connect this light to this cable? Is there another way / should I use a different junction box?

That's not a fuse - it's just some sort of connector block, probably from inside whatever connected the old light to the cable coming out of the wall.

And that cable won't reach the light, so you will need a junction box of some sort. Unless you can remove that cable and run the flex from the light inside and connect it there? That would be preferable, and external connections and boxes are best avoided if possible.

If you can't, I'd recommend a Wiska, and take the cables in through the bottom to minimise the chances of water getting in. Use two stuffing glands, one with an insert for flat cables.

Where/how is the twin&earth connected indoors?

Also, why was the previous light wired with just a neutral and live where as the new light also has an earth?

Hopefully because the old light didn't need an earth.

(I assume the new light could have been wired straight to a 3 pin plug?)

That's a tacky way of doing it.