New light fitting has an extra wire?

[alan0259]

Hi,

I'm about to change a ceiling rose type light fitting for a fluorescent tube fitting.

The old light has three wires going to it:

Live
Neutral
Earth

The new light (second hand, with old wire chopped off) has these wires going to it:

L
L1
Neutral
Earth

Am I ok to just connect the L, neutral and earth, leaving L1 with nothing connected?

I'm not sure what this extra wire is used for.

Any help appreciated.


Thanks

 

[seasickstevie]

Is it an emergency light, with a (back-up) battery inside?

 

[alan0259]

No, it's just a normal light that's been wired up in my shed from a fused spur using T&E

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's a maintained or sustained emergency light. It may not work as you want. How many tubes in it?

L1 is probably the permanent live, L the switched.

 

[alan0259]

Just a single tube.

I just want to be able to flick my switch to turn it off/on.

Thanks

EDIT: I've just noticed a battery inside the unit with a black and red wires coming from it, is there anyway to bypass this and turn it in to a regular light?

 

[eveares]

Could you not just wire the live wire to L1 and also to L by bridging them together with a piece of cable.

Do you also remember how it was wired in your shed as it may help you?

As others have said, the light may either be a maintained emergency light or one that can be converted into one and has the terminals already prepared.

Could you also please post some photos as it may help us on here.

Edit:

EDIT: I've just noticed a battery inside the unit with a black and red wires coming from it, is there anyway to bypass this and turn it in to a regular light?

In that case try wiring the live cable to L1 and also to L by bridging them together with a piece of live coloured cable. If you find the light comes on when the switch is turned off, see if it works with the battery removed what may make it behave like a normal light.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just a single tube.

In which case it's a maintained light, and will work normally when there is power, and off batteries, usually at reduced output, when there isn't.

I just want to be able to flick my switch to turn it off/on.

Which you'll be able to do if you connect it up properly.

EDIT: I've just noticed a battery inside the unit with a black and red wires coming from it, is there anyway to bypass this and turn it in to a regular light?

Why do you want to?

Where will the light be such that you would not want it, or find it useful for it, to light up if there's a power cut or the lighting circuit fails?

 

[alan0259]

That's a good point ^^^

So, if I leave the battery in place.

Should I wire up to L/L1 and bridge them together still with a wire?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you do that the light will come on via battery every time you turn the switch off.

 

[alan0259]

So just wire the live to either L or L1 and test? And not bother connecting L and L1 together?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

L1 is probably the permanent live, L the switched.

 

[JohnW2]

Why do you want to? ... Where will the light be such that you would not want it, or find it useful for it, to light up if there's a power cut or the lighting circuit fails?

Good question - but since it's second-hand, I wouldn't put any money on the battery still being viable.

Kind Regards, John

 

[eveares]

If at the ceiling you have permanent live AND switched live, then as ban-all-sheds said you could have an emergency light what would be useful.

The battery can also likely be replaced if need be.

Other wise if you only have switched live at the ceiling, then the the battery back up wont be much use as the light will come on when it is switched off at the wall, in which case remove the battery and bridge L and L1.

 

[alan0259]

I've managed to get it working by connecting the live wire to L1 of the fitting and also bridging L and L1 together.

It works as it should do off my fused spur switch.

I've left the battery connected as it does stay lit for a short time which could prove useful.

Another question, if I choose to connect a second light exactly the same, do I just run the same wires between both units? I.e. Run earth to earth, live to live, neutral to neutral from the first light to the second light?

Thanks for your help.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've left the battery connected as it does stay lit for a short time which could prove useful.

And every time you turn it off the battery will power the lamp, and then it will go flat. They take a while to charge, so it will probably never charge properly.

You have an old battery of uncertain goodness, and you propose to give it a series of partial charges and complete discharges followed by periods of totally flat. If it isn't shagged now it soon will be.

If you think the EM function could be useful, wire the thing up properly.