What are all these wires!!!!

[cress]

hi all,

Just putting a new light fitting up, as you'll see from the pictures there are three sets of T&E coming out the ceiling.....
I connected all three black wires and put them in Neutral and three red wires in Live and Earth to Earth....

When I switched the power back on the light was already on and when i turned the light switch off it took the trip.....

What am I doing wrong????

Pics to follow as i can't get uploaded at the mo....

View media item 9948 View media item 9949

 

[aptsys]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:single_way_lighting#how_they_are_wired

Get some earth sleeving too.

 

[OilLecky]

The ceiling roses are inter-connected. i.e. one supply in and one out to the next light. That takes care of two of the T&E the other one is to your switch. So the live goes down one red wire to the switch AND BACK UP THE BLACK WIRE! So you have connected live to neutral via the switch. This switched black cable should have had a red or brown marker sleeve on it. This is the live to the light. (the other side of the light connects to the black neutrals.) You need to prove which of the cables goes to the switch and thus determine which black wire goes to the light rather than be connected with the other black cables.
TURN THE POWER OFF BEFORE INVESTIGATING. You will preferably need a multi-meter although a lamp and battery with a long cable will do.

 

[cress]

Bearing in mind this is the bathroom light and obviously works thru a pull cord, is there an easy way to sort this out, the only tool I have is a screwdriver with a tiny digital display telling me how much voltage is coming thru cable......???

Please don't tell me i need a sparky for a single light....

 

[Steve]

no, you need some common sense - ie. you should have noted what went where on the old light.

 

[comms]

Bearing in mind this is the bathroom light and obviously works thru a pull cord, is there an easy way to sort this out, the only tool I have is a screwdriver with a tiny digital display telling me how much voltage is coming thru cable......???

Please don't tell me i need a sparky for a single light....

OK

What you need is to employ somebody with a little more knowledge than you of electrics & prefrebly somebody who has more electrical tools than a throw it in the bin all singing all dancing not worth the money you paid for it screwdriver with lcd voltage indicator.

Glad to have helped.

 

[Spark123]

Buy or borrow a multimeter, have a read of this http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:blackswlive

 

[^neo^]

good tip for the next electrical task......... take a photo with you phone or digicam before you start removing cables. At least when it all goes pear shaped you can put it back together how it was!

 

[cress]

Who'd have thought i work for the local distribution board!!!!

Thanks all for the help