Simple Light Fitting Problem

[electrocuted101]

Hi,

Hope someone can help as I am a bit confused and hoping not to fry myself...

I have fitted a new light in our kitchen and all was straight forward however when I have gone to the utility room to do the same the wires are different?

From looking at Google and my DIY book I think its an 'end of loop' and so has two grey cables coming through the ceiling.

- The first grey cable has an earth wire which is combined with the earth wire of the second cable. It also has a red wire which is connected to a red wire from the second grey cable via a connection box. Lastly it has a black wire.

- The secong grey cable has the earth and red wires as above and also a yellow (with red band) wire which i believe is the switch live? It also has a random blue wire (neutral?).

So whilst I expect the two connected red wires aren't relevant, the earth wire(s) go into the light fitting earth connector and the switch live goes into the light fitting live connector.

But what about the left over blue and black wires? Which goes into the light fitting neutral? Both? This is the bit thats confusing me...

Hope someone can offer some advice.

Thanks

 

[electrocuted101]

I shoudl have mentioned, there's an extractor fan in the same room that is controlled by a seperate switch on the same switch plate. If that's relevant?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Lesson 1
Always make a note of where wires go before disconnecting anything (or take a photo.

Without a test meter, and being there, I could make a guess

But I won't.

Please remove the switch plate and post a photo of the connections there.

 

[electrocuted101]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply - funny thing is I was watching to see where the wires were and it looked the same as the kitchen one (wasn't a lot of room to see) but then when I had taken the fitting off I had this extra wire and I was like 'er, wut?'!

Here's the switch photo - hopefully this helps?!

 

[AndyPRK]

so the fan and light have seperate switches ?

Did the switch with all red wires control the fan ?

and the one with the yellow the light ?

 

[electrocuted101]

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's right, although obviously now i can't check i want to doubt myself!

I just looked at the switch in the cloakroom which has light and extractor and the light switch is the one with the yellow / the fan is the one with the two red wires.

 

[electrocuted101]

Well I have left the downstairs light trip switch off just to be safe.

Hopefully I can figure it out, otherwise I'll have to get a sparky in - don't want to fry myself!

 

[electrocuted101]

Anyone give me an idea what it should cost an electrician to look at this, figure out the wires and attach the light?

Midlands based.

Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It would be a call out charge and about 5 minutes to sort.

Around £50, if you can find anybody bothered to come out to do the job!

May be able to help some more though. But I need to know

The two switches (that have been removed). What do each of those do?

I need to know where that blue wire goes. What is the item to the right of the 2 gang switch? Can we see a pic of the wiring behind it.


I assume that the black terminal joining the two reds together was always there?

 

[electrocuted101]

Well I have a guy coming out later this week to quote on a few (more involved) jobs so it's not like I would be getting him out just for the light!

If I can sort it before though would be ideal.

Switches:

The image is misleading I've realised as it's posted sideways. The removed panel is above a panel that contains a fuse. (not to the right).

The left switch (bottom in photo) I am pretty certain is the extractor fan.
The right switch (top in photo) is for the light.

This is the same setup in the downstairs lav.

The little connector box on the red wires was already there.

Hope that's useful?

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

And the blue wire, where does that come from?
Neutral on the fuse?

 

[electrocuted101]

No idea!

I'll open the fuse panel as soon as I'm home.

Cheers

 

[deadshort]

My concern is that the fuse connection is to the supply and the light and it's fed from the ring and not the lighting circuit. I would remove the fuse as precaution until you have worked out the wiring.

I would suggest that you are correct in assuming Blue and Black are neutral and should be connected together. If you remove the cover from the fan you will find red and black wires. The yellow with red tape is your light switched feed and the red in the connector block is the switched live to your fan.

The fuse connection will have a 3A fuse fitted and will protect the wiring to the light and fan. It may be fed from the lighting circuit as would be expected but just to be safe, please remove the fuse until you have resolved the wiring issue.

Kind Regards,

DS

 

[electrocuted101]

My concern is that the fuse connection is to the supply and the light and it's fed from the ring and not the lighting circuit. I would remove the fuse as precaution until you have worked out the wiring.

I've removed the fuse to be safe. I'm pretty sure the light is on the light circuit and goes off when the light ring is switched off at the trip switch.

I would suggest that you are correct in assuming Blue and Black are neutral and should be connected together. If you remove the cover from the fan you will find red and black wires. The yellow with red tape is your light switched feed and the red in the connector block is the switched live to your fan.

Do you mean the extractor fan on the wall or the ceiling fan that I presume may have been fitted once upon a time? (The previous fitting was just a plain old light, it's possible a previous owner had a ceiling fan though I guess?)

So should I wire up the new light fitting as per the diagram in my original post?

- Yellow (Red Band) > Live
- Blue & Black > Neutral
- Yellow/Green > Earth
- Red (with connector) > Leave as is

The fuse connection will have a 3A fuse fitted and will protect the wiring to the light and fan. It may be fed from the lighting circuit as would be expected but just to be safe, please remove the fuse until you have resolved the wiring issue.

Fuse removed to be absolutely sure I don't end up as toast. It was a 3A as you say.

Behind the fuse...

 

[deadshort]

Hi, sorry ,yes the fan on the wall if it is wired with red and black i would connect the blue and black together as neutral at the light.

Regards,

DS