I bought 2 new metal spotlight type lights for my house to replace the existing plastic ones. The first plastic one i removed had 3 wires, live neutral and earth which were pretty simple to connect the new fitting to. The second one has live, neutral, and three other red wires that are connected together in an empty choc block, and there is nothing going into the earth connection. I am worried that because the new fitting is metal, it has to be earthed. Both lights are in the same room and run off the same switch. I don't understand why they have different wiring configs.
Wiring a new light fitting
- Thread starter dkhawkey
- Start date
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can you get us a picture? In a two light setup like this I would expect to see a red and a (possiblly red sleeved) black to the live terminal of the light, three reds in a block on thier own and four blacks to the neutral terminal.
As for the earths there should be five of them, can you see the outer sheaths of the cables and where the bare earth wires go on coming out of them (or indeed if some idiot has cut them back).
As for the earths there should be five of them, can you see the outer sheaths of the cables and where the bare earth wires go on coming out of them (or indeed if some idiot has cut them back).
thanks for the quick reply. i'll get a picture tongiht and post it.
i found this on another post which sounds exactly like my set up and also doesn't sound like an earth is present: "ahh loop in lighting wiring probablly the biggest source of confustion and blown fuses/tripped breakers in domestic diy wiring
the three reds are the permanent live and should remain joined together but should not be connected to the light
the two blacks that are currently joined together are the neutral and should remain joined to each other as well as being connected to the brown wire from the light
the final black wire (which should really be sleeved red but in your case clearly isn't) is the switched live and goes to the brown wire from the light"
i found this on another post which sounds exactly like my set up and also doesn't sound like an earth is present: "ahh loop in lighting wiring probablly the biggest source of confustion and blown fuses/tripped breakers in domestic diy wiring
the three reds are the permanent live and should remain joined together but should not be connected to the light
the two blacks that are currently joined together are the neutral and should remain joined to each other as well as being connected to the brown wire from the light
the final black wire (which should really be sleeved red but in your case clearly isn't) is the switched live and goes to the brown wire from the light"
BLUE wire from the light
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Heres the picture. Sorry it's huge. I think I understand what's going on in it although there's no earth going into the copper block at the top of the img. The new light is metal so it needs to be earthed.
http://www.ipanema.co.za/CIMG4281.JPG
http://www.ipanema.co.za/CIMG4281.JPG
i reckon they just tapped the earth off the backbox(conduit)
you dont need a permanent feed(three reds together )as this light only needs switchline and neutral and earth because you already sent the live down to the switch and into the next room, off the light in the photo.
rewire it with proper earth wires
you dont need a permanent feed(three reds together )as this light only needs switchline and neutral and earth because you already sent the live down to the switch and into the next room, off the light in the photo.
rewire it with proper earth wires
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