Only one wire!

[Paul35]

I am going to be replacing my light pendant in the living room but when I took it apart I'd notice that there is only 1 wire showing (Red, Black and Earth)

I wanted to know why is there no twin and earth for the light switch? Would it be further back in a junction box?

Also there should be another twin and earth that would carry on from the living room and go into the kitchen for the kitchen light pendent!

Any idea? Is this normal?

 

[riveralt]

A single cable would suggest that this pendant is linked to another light that activates at the same time or as you say goes to a junction box somewhere.

 

[Iggifer]

Either there's a junction box in your ceiling or all of those connections are made at the switch.

Easiest way to check is to take the switch off and have a looksee.

On the plus side, it makes your life easier in this case

Perfectly normal (particularly looping at the switch)

 

[Paul35]

I believe that the switch has one wire.

The living room light (which the pendant has one wire) can be switched using a single 1gang 1 way switch.

All other rooms switches independently.

I think it is in the ceiling in a junction box as I cant think of any other way of it working!

 

[riveralt]

In that case, I'm not sure what the problem is.
You are simply replacing one light for another.
You don't need to find the junction box.

Here's an example of what you probably have - with the terminal strip/junction box arrangement.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:single_way_lighting_nonharm_tb

 

[Iggifer]

I cant think of any other way of it working!

Trade secret!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Nothing would work with only one wire.

You have three in one cable.

 

[JohnW2]

Nothing would work with only one wire.

A neon screwdriver, or one of its brethren, might

Kind Regards, John

 

[deadshort]

' Nothing' must be a bicycle headlamp with -ve earth to the dynamo

DS

 

[EFLImpudence]

A neon screwdriver, or one of its brethren, might

We are always being told they don't work.

' Nothing' must be a bicycle headlamp with -ve earth to the dynamo

It's good to see that you have a good grounding in electrics.

...]

 

[JohnW2]

A neon screwdriver, or one of its brethren, might

We are always being told they don't work.

Oh, they certainly sometimes 'work' (i.e. they sometimes light up). Whether they can be relied upon to light up when they should and/or not light up when they shouldn't is a different matter!

' Nothing' must be a bicycle headlamp with -ve earth to the dynamo

It's good to see that you have a good grounding in electrics.

I have no doubt that he has some understanding of electrics, but he's playing his common game of try to be clever by taking you totally literally. Electrical things can obviously 'work' with only one 'wire', if there is a second path through some conductor that is something other than 'a wire'. Indeed, they could work with no 'wires' at all

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

' Nothing' must be a bicycle headlamp with -ve earth to the dynamo

DS

Bicycle dynamos are actually alternators so no -ve.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is this normal?

Yes.

Please spend a bit of time learning how what you want to fiddle with works.

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+lighting+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index[/list]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

he's playing his common game of try to be clever

Do you think he will ever be any good at that?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Bicycle dynamos are actually alternators so no -ve.

I shall pull you up on that statement. (As you have been so pedantic over the transformer issue).

On a bicycle they are magnetos.