Replacing kitchen light

[Lee Bowden]

Hi all,

Replacing kitchen light but not sure of the wiring. 2 light switches in kitchen, old light was a strip light.
3 live, 3 neutral and 3 earth.
There is nothing indicating that 1 of the neutrals is a live.

Please help lol

Many thanks

Lee

 

[EFLImpudence]

There is nothing indicating that 1 of the neutrals is a live.

Well, there sort of is. Whether it is accurate is impossible to tell.


Do you have a multimeter?

 

[Lee Bowden]

Is there? I haven't got one on me but I can get one if it helps.

 

[Lee Bowden]

Oh if you mean the string. I put that on lol

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, I did mean the string. Why did you put it on?

 

[Lee Bowden]

I thought it may be the live out of the 3. So with my light... do I isolate all 3 reds? Find out which is the live out of the 3 blacks. Pair up the 2 blacks (neutral) then single out the black which is live. Connect to light obviously 2 blacks to N and 1 black to L. There is no where to put the earth so do they get isolated aswell?

 

[EFLImpudence]

I thought it may be the live out of the 3.

Why did you think that?

So with my light... do I isolate all 3 reds?

Sort of. You connect them all together.

Find out which is the live out of the 3 blacks. Pair up the 2 blacks (neutral) then single out the black which is live. Connect to light obviously 2 blacks to N and 1 black to L.

That's right.

There is no where to put the earth so do they get isolated aswell?

Connected together, yes.

 

[Lee Bowden]

Yeah isolate the 3 earth and 3 reds as a group of 3. Right... thank you I'll go get my multi meter. Thanks for your help.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yeah isolate the 3 earth and 3 reds as a group of 3. Right...

Connect the three together. Isolate is not quite the right word.

Before you do that, though -

thank you I'll go get my multi meter. Thanks for your help.

When you have -

switch OFF power at consumer unit.
Set meter to ohms (Ω) beep. Touch probes together to ensure it works.

Put one probe on a black and the other on the red from the same cable.

Have someone turn the light switch on and off and see if beep goes on and off with the switch.

 

[Lee Bowden]

Lovely thanks very much. Hopefully I can now sort this.

 

[Lee Bowden]

No beeping beeps. Fuse is out of box so all power to house lights out. Is that right?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, that's right.

One of the cables should beep when you turn the switch on - if it is wired the usual way.


Power OFF
Neutrals will be connected together at the CU.
Try with probes on two of the blacks, and then a different two.
Is there one which does not beep? That is not connected to the other two.

 

[Lee Bowden]

No beeps with any combination...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Have you got the meter set to right thing and leads in COM & VΩ?

 

[Lee Bowden]

This is my setup. When probs touch they beep.