wiring light advice

[diesel75]

Hello,

I was seeking some advice on wiring a light. The new light I have has 4 wires:

- 1 green&black earth
- 1 non-coloured but has earth symbol on it
- 1 non-coloured (assuming live)
- 1 essentially non-coloured but may have black tinge (assuming neutral)

From the ceiling I have following:
- 2 blue
- 2 black
- 4 red
- 2 green and yellow
- 1 uncovered wire

The light is controlled by 2 switches

I will have to get some connectors, but basically wanted confirmation on what should connect to what..

Many thanks

 

[Steve]

Certainly the wiring to that round box needs attention, the earths should not be bundled together in tape like that. Some people think earths are optional and disregard them like this. They are NOT, they are the most important!

Anyway, connect the two earths together, and the other two are live and neutral.

When you disconnect everything from that box, NOTE WHAT GOES WHERE and replicate these connections EXACTLY in the new fitting - it WONT work any other way. (I emphasise this bit because we get so many people asking AFTER they have disconnected everything and its so much harder then)

 

[diesel75]

many thanks Steve!

 

[Space cat]

Something unusual is going on here. Take a closer look at those four cables and see if you can find two yellow wires. If I'm right there'll be a LOT of wires stuffed into that box. As Steve says, you must take note of EXACTLY what goes where or you'll have terrible trouble sorting it all out.

Label each wire and make a careful drawing of how they are all connected.

Those bare earth wires twisted together outside the box will be needed. There should be four of them, one from each cable, but I don't think I can see that many. If they aren't all there, you'll have to strip the offending cable(s) back and find the missing ones. ALL FOUR EARTHS must be connected to the earth wires in the new lamp. Speaking of which --

I don't like the way that one of three identical wires is only labelled with a barely attached sticker. How can you be sure that it hasn't already fallen off and been put back on the wrong one?

You really need to check for continuity from the supposed earth wire to the metalwork at the bottom of the chain. While you're at it, you might as well make sure that there's NO continuity between either of the other two and the metal. If you don't have a meter, I suggest you get one. It'll be a good investment if you plan to do any electrical work.

 

[dannyboi2003]

Just a thought...

The OP said the light is controlled by two switches (2-way) could the 3C&E have been looped at the light which would account for the blue cables?

diesel75 - can you post up a pic of the old ceiling rose connections?

I agree with space cat, before the new fitting is connected do a continuity check on each of the clear wires to be certain which one is which.

All the best
Dan

 

[diesel75]

Hi - here is a pic of the ceiling rose, just a live and neutral connecting to the light no earth

thanks

 

[diesel75]

I have just cut the wires from the light in order to shorten them and can clarify what colour wires I have, basically they are 3 wires which are see through but have a coloured thread in them - which I couldnt see until I cut!

green & yellow

green thread
blue thread
clear (no thread, but labelled as earth)

being that blue should be neutral, that would make green live?? thats clearly bonkers, so have emailed the company who I have purchased the (£55) light from.

 

[Spark123]

What sort of fitting is it, BC or ES?
Can you bell them out with a multimeter to see which wire goes where - 2 will go to the lamp pickups and one - more than likely the one with the earth marking will go to the lampholder chassis.

 

[diesel75]

Been in contact with the company, who have said that the earth should be labelled correctly, but also said green is unlikely to be live........... so I have bitten the bullet and have arranged for our electrician to come round.

Thanks for peoples responses.

 

[Space cat]

could the 3C&E have been looped at the light

I think so. All reds together as live feed, two blues supplying switched live to the light and two yellows all on their own because they go off to the COMs in the 2-way switches. Along with the neutrals, that's all four terminals used up and so the earths got twisted together outside the box.

Diesel75, your new light fitting needs an earth so you'll need a fifth terminal in the box. Have you found all four earth wires yet?