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Three cables...but no blue one!!

Hi, I have a plug which is plugged in and running to my security light. I have taken the back off the security light and disconnected the backing. Instead of three coloured wires of different colours, there are three wires but one is yellow/green but the other two are the same colour (brown or black (I am colourblind)) but they are labelled 1 and 2.

Could someone help. I have a security light i want to attach (replacing an old one which did used to work with same cables) but am now not sure where the two numbered wires go.

THANKS
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Comments

  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    What do the instructions for the new light say you should do?
  • Instructions say to connect BROWN to terminal block marked L, blue wire to terminal marked N, and YELLOW/GREEN wire to terminal marked E.

    Which u can see causes me a problem as I have the yellow/green one but the other two of the same colour are simply marked 1 AND 2. I have opened up the plug end and looked at connections and it shows 1 connected to LIVE and 2 to NEUTRAL.

    However when I took the wires from the original security light which I am replacing, I am sure two of the cables came from the same terminal.

    All help is warmly appreciated. Thanks
  • Syman
    Syman Posts: 2,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    take a photo of the old light, the new light and their connections. Post them here and we might be able to help.

    at a guess ( and it is just a guess) what you have is the earth (G/Y) , the feed from the switch, and the neutral return. but can't be sure.
    Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today!:mad:
    Cos if you do it today and like it...You can do it again tomorrow.. :p


    Bookworm's Thread 2019 reading Challenge total :- 1/60
  • Syman
    Syman Posts: 2,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    thenap80 wrote: »
    Instructions say to connect BROWN to terminal block marked L, blue wire to terminal marked N, and YELLOW/GREEN wire to terminal marked E.

    Which u can see causes me a problem as I have the yellow/green one but the other two of the same colour are simply marked 1 AND 2. I have opened up the plug end and looked at connections and it shows 1 connected to LIVE and 2 to NEUTRAL.

    However when I took the wires from the original security light which I am replacing, I am sure two of the cables came from the same terminal.

    All help is warmly appreciated. Thanks


    i would assume you should connect 1-> L and 2 -> N
    Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today!:mad:
    Cos if you do it today and like it...You can do it again tomorrow.. :p


    Bookworm's Thread 2019 reading Challenge total :- 1/60
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 25 September 2010 at 11:19AM
    You have a cable leading from a plug to your existing light? Does this cable go straight from the plug to the light, or does it go through a switch?

    What colour are the three conductors in this cable or cables?

    Are the wires 'of the same colour' that you're referring to within the body of the old light? If so, their colour is irrelevant since you're discarding this one, and merely need to connect the marked terminals of the new light to the appropriate supply conductors...... the numbers on the old light are also irrelevant since you're discarding it.

    If you can't tell the difference between the colours in the cable leading from the plug to the light or from switch to light, then I'd suggest finding someone who isn't colour-blind to verify them for you.....
  • If i we're you i would ring the manufacturers and ask them
  • And if I were you I would get an electrician in to do the job.
    No disrespect
  • I done it! Not sure why they are not colour coded but worked out okay. Saved myself 100 quid!!

    Thanks people.
  • andy69_2
    andy69_2 Posts: 2,004 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    mervyn11 wrote: »
    And if I were you I would get an electrician in to do the job.
    No disrespect

    Why why why, do people on here tell you to get an electrician for something so simple. Next you will be telling the poster to get an electrician to take a plug out of a socket.
  • Why why why, do people on here tell you to get an electrician for something so simple.

    I asked a question about my pilot light and it was suggested that it was to high so I said I would look for the instructions on how to turn it down.

    I found them and it shows how to adjust it.

    What did I get in one of the replies
    Get a suitably qualified person to look at it,

    Even after posting that I had found the instructions and it shows how to adjust it.

    You're right, soon we won't be allowed to pull a plug out in case we touch the pins as we do it.

    Health and safety has gone mad.
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