replacing brass pendant with plastic

[wrathkeg]

I am replacing a brass pendant light fitting with a plastic rose and pendant. This is in a downstairs hallway, operated by a two way switch which also switches the upstairs landing light. I've been trying to get a good look at the existing downstairs fitting and can make out the following

1. a red cable connected to L
2. a black cable connected to N
3. a cable in earth sleeving connected to Loop
4. also from Loop a cable in earth sleeving going to a terminal on the light fitting itself
5. also from Loop the earth cable which leads down to the lampholder

How should I connect up the new fitting? 1 and 2 seem straightforward enough (red to L, black to N), and presumably I don't need to worry about 4 and 5 since the new fitting is plastic rather than brass (but please let me know if this is wrong). What I suppose I am really wondering about is the cable in 3, why that is connected to Loop, and whether I should do the same on the new fitting or connect it to the earth terminal?

thanks in advance

 

[Taylortwocities]

Can't be as you describe.

Picture please! (we like pictures)

 

[Iggifer]

TTC - I'm sorry but it can be just like this (my landing light fitting is wired the same way minus the earth via the loop!) It likely means means there's a JB somewhere or looped at the switch (as I assume by two way the OP actually means 2 gang)

Connect the earth in 3 to the earth terminal on the new fitting, you can loose wires 4 and 5

 

[leezer3]

Sounds to me like someone's used simply used loop as a convenient place to terminate the CPC before taking one to the light body and one to the lampholder.
(From what you describe, there are no black/ red wires in loop, simply the ones in earth sleeving?)

If that's the case, just stick the one coming out of the ceiling into a spare terminal block

 

[JohnW2]

Can't be as you describe.

From what has been described, it sounds as if the fitting simply has a L/N feed (interface with switching being elsewhere) and that the 'Loop' terminals of the fitting have been used as an 'earth block'.

Picture please! (we like pictures)

Indeed we do!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[wrathkeg]

Thanks all for the input.

Picture please! (we like pictures)

Here are some. Bit tricky to take good pictures of this, but hopefully it's possible to piece together what's what from these. (Incidentally, there is a black cable present to take some of the weight of the fitting which isn't connected to anything: you can see that clearly in one of the photos)

View media item 59829 View media item 59830 View media item 59831 View media item 59832

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• wrathkeg
• 10 Apr 2013
• 1

I can understand the point about using loop as an earth, since neither live nor neutral go in there, and there isn't a dedicated earth terminal on the rose itself but as you can see in the pictures, there is an earth terminal incorporated into the metal bracket at the top of the flex.

 

[Taylortwocities]

OK, Iggifer is correct above.

On your lastic pendant. Red to live, black to neutral and earth to teh earth terminal block. That's it.

Meerkat

• Taylortwocities
• 11 Dec 2009
• 53

Simples!