Wiring new light fitting. One of the ceiling cables has 2 brown wires instead of the expected brown and blue....please help.

[Dallyllama]

Hi there.

I bought a new light fitting which has a different configuration of connectors than the standard rose (3 single connectors instead of 3 blocks of multiple connectors).

The two cables coming out of the ceiling have one standard (expected) wires (blue, brown and earth), but the other has what appear to be two brown wires and an earth (neither of these are sleeved....they are sheathed).

I was feeling fairly confident up until I found this.....please can someone tell me how I should connect the cabling up?

I have marked the 3rd brown wire that was originally connected to the brown wire in the old pendant....is it right that the brown of the supply wire and a brown of the switch wire should be connected? as it looks like one of the brown wires from the switch cable is connected to the brown pendant block.

Please explain it in the simplest dummy terms for me....many thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The cable with the two browns are the cable to the switch. So, the block in the middle is the permanent live. The blue on the right is the neutral to the light and the brown on the left is the switched live to the brown on the light brown. Of course, you need to connect the earth to the earth on the light.

Are you planning to keep the ceiling rose, or remove it?

 

[Dallyllama]

Thank you so much Taylortwocities!

I'm not keeping the original rose (I pinched one of the double connectors from it to connect up the permanent live).

Nice new light fitting up, and it hasn't tripped anything.....guess llama CAN follow instructions .

 

[333rocky333]

(I pinched one of the double connectors from it to connect up the permanent live).

are they insulated?

 

[Dallyllama]

I wrapped the connector in electrical tape....would that suffice? Or do I need to buy a purpose built jobbie for it?

 

[Risteard]

Twin brown is the correct cable for domestic light switches. It's universally used throughout Ireland.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Twin brown is the correct cable for domestic light switches. It's universally used throughout Ireland.

But Ireland is a foreign land. So why do you think this is something our friend needs to worry about?

 

[flameport]

I wrapped the connector in electrical tape....would that suffice? Or do I need to buy a purpose built jobbie for it?

You need a proper connector. Tape is not sufficient.

 

[Risteard]

But Ireland is a foreign land. So why do you think this is something our friend needs to worry about?

Indeed it is a foreign land, however part of Ireland uses BS 7671 (and the rest I.S. 10101).

It's not inconceivable that the poster is in Ireland, given the use of the correctly coloured cable cores.

 

[justigator]

Just to be pedantic, Ireland (the republic) is not treated as foreign in UK law - and the Common Travel Area arrangement allows UK and Irish citizens to travel, work and settle freely in each others' countries.

Neither is Ireland in the Commonwealth, so it has a unique status in UK law. Every other country is either a foreign country or a Commonwealth country.

Northern Ireland is of course part of the UK. For now!

 

[Dallyllama]

Thank you to everyone for your help and advice.

For clarity, I am in an old council block in Bristol (I've lived in old places before and have tinkered with the old red and black wiring.....so the "new to me" twin brown threw me).

I'll not use the light until I can source an isolated connector (do any of you happen to have a favourite/ recommendation please?).

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'll not use the light until I can source an isolated connector (do any of you happen to have a favourite/ recommendation please?).

Available everywhere