Pendant lights and the fitting

[viking44]

Hi, I qualified as a electrician in 2008 but never really practised that much and have been doing something else for a living since and so I forgotten a al ot.

Ill include pics because its easier but I have just been replacing some ceiling pendants and cannot for the life of me fathom this.

The pic shows the problem, the red is the permanent live, the black is the N and the yellow bound - well I'm not sure - I think its the switch wire. When I took the old one off it had a loop wire going from 1 terminal to the other but again I forgot to take note of where it was. When I connect it as shown in the pic I get constant light, but the switch doesn't work, any advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm sick of sitting in the dark!!!!!

Thanks
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[fireman22]

have you got any test meters or a simple multimeter? if this light ever worked before it may be the switch has welded together so the light is on all the time, the yellow is prob yellow and green and its the earth. test the switch first with the fuse out of course

 

[viking44]

Hi, yes I tested them all with a fluke meter, the switch is fine, worked a treat just before I took the old light (with a fan on it) down, the landing to hall way is wired the same and I cannot figure that either!!!

 

[fireman22]

ah, was the light with the fan on it able to have the fan only without the light on? someone may have used the earth as a live carefully test with your meter if youhave 230 volts between the yellow cable and the black cable often done but totally wrong

 

[sparkwright]

He did mention there was a link wire - possibly linking the live across two terminals - one live for light and one live for fan.

Is the switch wired correctly, and was a remote controller used for the fan?

Details of how the switch is wired could be very useful.

 

[securespark]

Get a DMM across neutral & what you call the yellow wire. If you get 230V, this is wrong and you need to rectify it ASAP!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The pic shows the problem, the red is the permanent live, the black is the N and the yellow bound - well I'm not sure - I think its the switch wire.

How would that work?

If you were right, you would have permanent live and neutral coming to the rose, and then ( ) what should be the cpc used as the switch wire.

So how would the switched live get back to the light?

What you should have there is twin & earth, with switched live, neutral & cpc.

The problem lies somewhere else.

 

[viking44]

Ill do the DMM test today. The fan was controlled by independent switches on the light itself (little chains hanging down) Ill also take a pic of the socket today as well.

Thanks

 

[securespark]

Ill also take a pic of the socket today as well.

You mean switch?

 

[EFLImpudence]

The fan was controlled by independent switches on the light itself (little chains hanging down)

Ah, so, ceiling fan - not extractor fan.

Yellow is likely permanent live for the fan supply.

However, if it IS the cpc (earth) being used then it must be rectified.
Possibly just reconnecting at the switch.

Edit - closer look at picture - it definitely IS the cpc, so above.

 

[securespark]

Yeah, definately!

 

[rjm2k]

Ill include pics because its easier but I have just been replacing some ceiling pendants and cannot for the life of me fathom this.

any chance you could have incorrectly wired the pendant before this one in the circuit? Did you change anything else?

Hi, yes I tested them all with a fluke meter, the switch is fine, worked a treat just before I took the old light (with a fan on it) down, the landing to hall way is wired the same and I cannot figure that either!!!

Wired the same, or just looks similar? Wouldn't the landing to hall be 2 way switching with 3 core+Earth rather than 2c+E ? Is there 2 way on this new light?

Do you have the old fitting, maybe a pic of the terminals on that will help even though it's disconnected now. Also pic of switch/socket or whatever it is that controls the new light.

 

[viking44]

OK here are the pics as requested, the red if perm live, the black is N and the yellow has a confirmed circuit to earth back at the consumer unit.

There is not voltage between the cpc (yellow) and black.

On the switch pic its the left hand switch which does the pendant, the other is for a separate light in the kitchen. the one that "used" to work is the one with a linked live and the yellow going in.

old light pic attached as well.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Can we have another picture of the switch please.

Pan to the left a bit.

 

[rjm2k]

Are the red/black or red/blue sleeved in either the rose or the switch to alter the colour?

It looks like 3core in the switch and 2 in the rose, so there should be a JB somewhere.