Fitting a new light in the ceiling

billdrick

Hi all,

I've googled this and a lot of results were for this forum so thought I'd give it a go myself.

I got a new light today and the fitting is different to the old one and there are more wires than holes to put them in. All I basically want to know is what goes in which hole?

Ceiling:
twitpic dot com slash 1xl86j

Light:
twitpic dot com slash 1xl8lc

I know red - L, black - N and yellow/green - E but what about the others?

Thanks for any help you could give me!

WestonDave

You can't fit that light to those wires as it stands. You have two cables (one has 3 cores, one has 2) - one cable is the power supply from the circuit and one is the switch wires - typically (but do not rely on this without testing) the neutral with the red sleeve on suggests its part of the switch cable hence converting the neutral to live. The 4th terminal you don't have would create a gap on the fitting between the supply live and the live on the fitting - this is bridged by the switch cables such that when the switch is closed the circuit is completed and the light comes on.

There are two solutions - get someone electrically competent to put a junction box under the floor above to deal with the switching aspect, or have someone electrically competant swap the 3 terminal block on the light for a 4 terminal one and wire it up correctly to create the switching on the light.

andrew-b

No need for a junction box or altering the light fitting. All you need is to get suitable terminal connector strip (rated 5A or more - looks like the connector block in the fitting but usually clear plastic and just cut off one terminal section) and use it to join the 2 reds and tuck it away in the light fitting (preferably wrap it in some red or brown insulation tape). The red sleeved black should be the switched live so connect to the live terminal of the light fitting, the other black connect to the neutral terminal of the light fitting. The earths should be connected to the earth terminal of the fitting.

Westondave if u look more closely it looks like there are 2 earth wires there that are twisted together and sleeved.

If there aren't two earth wires then there's a problem - if there is a earth wire in the cable then you'll have to strip it back otherwise it's ok so long as you only fit a plastic or double insulated fitting (if there is symbol of 2 squares with one in side the other on the label of the fitting then it's double insulated.).

No need to get a spark in on this. Total cost...a few pennies for the connector strip and a bit of insulating tape (quid?).

Just to add...make sure you've turned the lighting circuit off at the consumer unit (to have got this far in one piece you've probably done that anyway but just thought i'd say !)

andrew-b

See http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/diy/electrics/light_fitting/ceiling_rose_wiring.htm - third picture down for a pretty picture (the 2 reds shown will be in your seperate terminal connector - earths are missed out in that pic for simplicity).

molerat

Get a 4 terminal (or more, you can cut them) 5 amp block from any DIY shed and swap with the 3 way putting the extra terminal on the left. Put the 2 reds together in the new left terminal, the black with red sleeve in the live, the two twisted greens in earth and the black in neutral.

My way is cheaper, no tape needed :money::D (although choc block and tape of assorted colours is already in my toolbox)

ormus

connect the two reds (L1 & L2) together with a new block connector.

connect SL to the L terminal. connect N to the N terminal. connect E to the earth terminal.

billdrick

ormus wrote: »

connect the two reds (L1 & L2) together with a new block connector.

connect SL to the L terminal. connect N to the N terminal. connect E to the earth terminal.

Just tried this but it's not working

ormus

is the L2 red actually live? have you tested it?
also test the SL wire for live when the light switch is on?

billdrick

ormus wrote: »

connect the two reds (L1 & L2) together with a new block connector.

connect SL to the L terminal. connect N to the N terminal. connect E to the earth terminal.

We retried this after someone on another forum said to do the same thing, I must've done something wrong because it works now!

Thanks for all your help!