Wiring For a Hall Light

[chestnut62]

I went to replace my hall light, but the wiring was not as I expected it to be.

I have 2 hall lights 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, with 2 switches 1 up and 1 down. Both switches control both lights.

The downstairs light just has 1 set of wires and looks ok.

The upstairs light has 3 sets of wires. I was expecting to see 2 black wires going to the neutral, 3 red wires go to the loop, and 1 black wire (the switch return) going to the live.

Instead I have 2 black wires going to the neutral (ok), 2 red wires going to the loop and 1 black wire (which I assume is the switch return) and 1 red wire going to the live.

//media.diynot.com/224000_223222_84426_34972401_thumb.jpg

This has been working fine for the last 20 years. So I am not sure whether to put the new light in as I think it should be wired or as it is wired now.

 

[EFLImpudence]

No, just connect the brown and blue to your new light as they are now plus earth if your new light has one.
As you say, it has been working for twenty years; why would you think it needs changing?

The wires are, L to R:

Neutral supply and neutral from other light (can't tell which is which),
Live supply and Live to switch (can't tell which is which),
Black switched live from switch and Red S/L to other light.

It would be better to have less copper showing but not the end of the world.

 

[sparkwright]

Yes, that's perfectly correct.

The one red going to the live (switched) as you call it goes to the other light, so it makes both lights come on together.

 

[chestnut62]

Thanks for the replies.

So it is because I have 2 switches working 2 lights that 1 of the red wires is attached to the live?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No, it's because the light needs a live supply to work.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  

 

[chestnut62]

But as I said in my original post I was expecting just 1 wire (the black switched live) to be going to the live.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I was expecting just 1 wire (the black switched live)

And that is what you have. It should be sleeved red.

to be going to the live.

But you have TWO (light) lives; one is brown and one is red to the other light.