Pull cord light

[sjmitchell]

Hi

I am trying to do what I was told would be a five minute job. I have just had a bedroom ceiling plastered and the light and pull switch wires were left exposed.

While these wires were exposed the lights in the other two bedrooms would not switch on (they operate from pull cords as well ) but all the other lights in the house were OK including the only other upstairs light which is at the top of the stairs.

Where the old pull cord wires come through the ceiling there are three seperate wires - two of them are twisted together to form one wire - the two that are twisted together are a red sheath within a larger red sheah and a red sheath within a grey sheath. The other wire that is on its own is red within a grey sheath.

The original light pull only has two connections as does the new one - the new one has COM-L and L2 available to connect to - there is also a brass fitting which the old fitting does not have. I have not connected anything into this as to do so I would have to disconnect the cables in either COM-L or L2. (Unless I untwist the two cables that have been twisted together ?? )

The old ceiling rose that was taken down again has three wires feeding into it but again two of them are twisted together to forn one. The wires coming through the ceiling are:

black sheath inside a larger black sheath. (A)
red sheath inside a larger grey Sheath. (B)
black sheath inside a larger grey sheath. (C)

The cables that were twisted together to form one wire are the two with the inner sheath coloured black (A & C )

The resulting "two" cables are connected into the only two connectors in the old ceiling rose. ( The plasterers broke the old ceiling rose when they took it down otherwise I would put it back up and give up.

The new ceiling rose I have has connectors available to connect into either N L or Loop.

When I check the wires by going into the attic the cables that have the larger grey sheaths seem to connect the light to one of the other lights and to the pull cord switch.

The wire from the light that is the black sheath within the larger black sheath and the red cable within the larger red sheath from the pull cord switch both come together and disapear down a gap in the laths that is about 10 inches away from the pull cord and looks like it must be embedded in the wall plaster.

There are no green or green/yellow cables at all.

The best I have managed to get is to get the lights in the two other bedrooms on - I cannot get the light in the room that has been plastered to come on.

Can anyone offer any advice ??

Sorry about the length of this essay.


Regards

 

[theshogun]

ceiling rose connect cables A&c together in connector marked n ,this should also have the blue cable from the lamp holder connected. Cable b should be connected to terminal marked l ,this should have a brown cable from the lamp holder connected to it, connect all earths in the brass terminal which is exposed to the touch or marked earth.Regards the Pull switch the 2 cables joined together which are red should go into the terminal marked COM,the single red cable connect to the other terminal, the brass fitting you mention sounds like an earth terminal and any earth cables should be connected to this.There should be bare copper wire in the sheath of the cable as well as the insulated copper wire, the bare wire is the earth wire. If you do not have any earths in the lighting circuit I would recommend getting a professional to check your electrical installation. Hope this helps

 

[felix]

Theshogun's wiring instructions are correct but, from the descriptions of the cables you've given us, I doubt very much whether you will find any earth wires up there.

This means you are restricted in your choice of light fittings and switches. You can't use anything with exposed metal parts - and that includes metal screws holding switches onto walls. It's quite likely that you don't have earths in your other lights and switches either so play safe and apply the same rules to them.

PS: You might like to consider getting your lights rewired.

 

[sjmitchell]

I would just like to thank both of you very much - I now have all the lights working as they were before the ceiling was done.

Once again, Thanks


Kind Regards