What I thought was an easy Lighting job!

[jonnyraine]

I'm not an electrician! I was thinking that replacing a light fitting with another would be an easy job. That is until I discovered the previous owner hadn't wired the ceiling rose in what I understand to be the standard way. No surprise there, the guy was a right bodger! (Just like me!)

So now I have three of those 3-core grey cables each containing, red, black and earth wires. One of the grey cables has red tape around it, the other with black tape around it and the other without. Does the red and black tape signify anything obvious? See photo here (ignore the masking tape): http://saintjonny.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/ceiling-light_wires.jpg

Then I have to connect it to a new fitting with instructions here:
http://saintjonny.wordpress.com/files/2008/09/ceiling-light_instructions.jpg

Am I out of my league on this one? Or can it be sorted?

 

[RF Lighting]

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:single_way_lighting:crnonharm


//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm not an electrician! I was thinking that replacing a light fitting with another would be an easy job. That is until I discovered the previous owner hadn't wired the ceiling rose in what I understand to be the standard way. No surprise there, the guy was a right bodger! (Just like me!)

Well you've got the standard 3 cables to be expected everywhere except the end of the circuit, so how had he wired them?

I hope you made notes....

So now I have three of those 3-core grey cables each containing, red, black and earth wires. One of the grey cables has red tape around it, the other with black tape around it and the other without. Does the red and black tape signify anything obvious?

It's obvious that the tapes signify something, but not what. Common sense says that if you're going to identify a cable you mark the switch drop, but other than that....

Are there two lights worked by the same switch?

Am I out of my league on this one? Or can it be sorted?

Provided you made a note of which wire went where in the old rose so that you know which are the loop cables and which the switch drop then it'll be a doddle, particularly as your new light has got a 4-way terminal block.

Put some red sleeving on the black core of the switch cable, tidy the ends of the sheathing and replace the green sleeving with green/yellow of the right length.

BTW - is there any sign of green goo in your switches or sockets?

 

[jonnyraine]

so how had he wired them?

Right, well there were two blacks wired together in the same block, so should I assume that they're the neutral ones and that all the red ones are on the loop and that the black one on it's own is the switched live one?

Are there two lights worked by the same switch?

No! One light off one switch.

BTW - is there any sign of green goo in your switches or sockets?

No! Why? What would that mean?

 

[Dartlec]

Right, well there were two blacks wired together in the same block, so should I assume that they're the neutral ones and that all the red ones are on the loop and that the black one on it's own is the switched live one?

Yes that is the most likely situation.

No! One light off one switch.

That makes the above even more likely.

No! Why? What would that mean?

You would join an elite club! Its a chemical reaction with the cable that affects some cables of the era yours look to be from. see here

 

[jonnyraine]

The light is working good and proper now, thanks for your helps!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Its a chemical reaction with the cable that affects some cables of the era yours look to be from. see here

Plus you can see discolouration on the cores...

 

[TopTrumper]

the colours of the tape on the sheath are what the electrician used to identify on the first fix.
Now it looks like the way i used to do it, and the red tape means the initial live feed, the black tape is the switch wire...

But dont take this as gospel, nobody really knows until its identified correctly..

 

[RF Lighting]

Don't you use notches at 1st fix?

I think I may have just opend a can of worms.

I am yet to meet 2 sparks who use the same notching system as one another

 

[Lectrician]

If its three cables, I always notch the switch drop with a couple lines on the sheath.

If there is a loop onto a second switched light, I leave a bit of black poking out the cable, and snip the rest off (if I describe that correctly!)........

If I need to ident a live feed for any reason, such as at a loop in switch, I leave red poking out.

 

[RF Lighting]

Or blue and brown these days

feed in / out two = lines
L x SW = an X
Sw / N = 1 line
others include snipped blue / brown, and many others

 

[TopTrumper]

Don't you use notches at 1st fix?

I think I may have just opend a can of worms.

I am yet to meet 2 sparks who use the same notching system as one another

RF
everybody will identify a different way...nowadays for me, its
BROWN TAPE = LIVE IN AND OUT
BLUE TAPE = SWITCH WIRE
BLACK TAPE = FEED TO ANOTHER LIGHT

 

[TicklyT]

Don't you use notches at 1st fix?

I think I may have just opend a can of worms.

I am yet to meet 2 sparks who use the same notching system as one another

Just reminded me of a moments 'brain fade' I had a while back. I had about 20 comms cables all marked with nicks and notches in the ends, so I knew which went where. I put the box up, then cut all the cables to length.....

 

[ricicle]

2 lines in the sheath = switch wire

Cross = cable to second light (on same switch)

Feed in/out left blank

 

[oharaf]

Loop In / Out blank

1st Switch Drop 1 line

2nd SW drp 2 line etc

Feed to 2nd/3rd etc pen on 'fd'