Wiring a ceiling light - Help!

nicgrant

I recently tried to install a new light fitting to an existing ceiling rose - it has 3 wires, each with a red, black & green.
I thought I had written down the wiring sequence in the rose which was:
Brown (new light); black; red, red, red, black, black, blue(new light)
I've tried every combination, but the best I can get is with one combination (1 red = blue, 1 black = brown) when the light remains repamently on even when I switch the switch on/off); all others don't work
What am I doing wrong, please???
Thanks

Alias_Omega

Ignore this, this was that you took the old fitting down, will keep it here for future search purposes..

Assuming, its 3x 1mm T&E cables (1 being a switch wire, the 2 being supply in & out).

Goes as follows..

3 reds, put into a connector and leave alone
2 blacks, put to the blue on the light
1 black (red tape) put this to the brown

earths, put together

*** NOTE ***

There will be 1 cable that goes down to the switch, this is known as the switch wire. The supply goes down the red to the switch, then through the switch, back up to the light on the black cable. This should have a red marking, being a sleeve or a red tape band. This cable is live when the light is switched, and the common mistake is 3 blacks, 3 reds together, power on, switch on & BANG...

Thats it..

Alias_Omega

nicgrant wrote: »

I recently tried to install a new light fitting to an existing ceiling rose -

it has 3 wires, each with a red, black & green.
I thought I had written down the wiring sequence in the rose which was:

Brown (new light); black ; red, red, red, black, black, blue(new light)

I've tried every combination, but the best I can get is with one combination (1 red = blue, 1 black = brown) when the light remains repamently on even when I switch the switch on/off); all others don't work
What am I doing wrong, please???
Thanks

Brown into the black on its own, black should have red tape on it to indicate live

Blue into the 2 blacks

Keep out of the reds..

nicgrant

Thanks,
However, there is no red tag on any of the blacks - how do I know which of the black go to the switch?
Thanks

Alias_Omega

Well in #1, it appeared you left the ceiling rose fitted, and therefore the wires would of been in tact..

Would of been.. (Looking at it, Assuming flex removed from it)

2 blacks - Neutrals - 1x Neutral from the fuse board, 1x Neutral to the next light.

3 reds - Live - 1x Live from the fuseboard, 1x Live to the next light, 1x live down to the switch

1 black - Switch Live - 1x Live return from the switch, only live when switch is made. Should be marked with red tape, sleeving to indicate live, not neutral.

Earths - Earth.. same as usual.

nicgrant

Hi,
I've tried every combination of blacks - I've tried blue & brown to each of the 3 of the blacks independently, 1 blue to one black, the brown to the other 2 blacks together - still no joy.
There is no red tape to any of the blacks, by the way....

ormus

if the switched live wire is not marked (not that rare), then i use a 240v electrical test screwdriver to test for live. switch off at the light switch and the wire that goes dead is the one.
warning.
make sure you take great care when dealing with live wires.

Alias_Omega

Ok, so is the light fitting back as it was (ie when you started and the flex was apart) now.?

Can you take a picture.?

nicgrant

Thanks so much for your help- I think the problem originated from the dimmer switch, so I replaced it with a normal one & hey presto, it now works, so thanks for your time in helping me!
Nick

Alias_Omega

Ok, thats nice to know.

So the dimmer was causing the light to stay on, was it staying on in the past or did it happen today / forget to tell us.

Regards,

Alias

nicgrant

No- it was working fine before: it could have been that the dimmer was on "off" as it's a push control- but whatever the cause, as soon as I replaced the switch, I tested each of the black wires by trial & error unto the light worked. Slight problem in that a light on the landing now doesn't work, but that's not a big issue