Changing light - no live at ceiling rose

Hasbeen

Just wire new in as existing

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/ceilingrose.htm

Ruski

All the rest will be in the ceiling void, where you'll be able to work out what colours they've used for the SL.

Electricity, nor some sparkies (as you can see) care what colour is used to supply the switched live at the rose, but it should be sleeved to indicate such.

Just to add another worm to the can - there is nothing in that setup to say that what you are assuming is the SL is indeed the Line, nor what you are assuming to be the neutral is indeed neutral Incandescent Light bulbs don't care which way you feed them...

HTH

Russ

Ruski

knightstyle wrote: »

Nothing much wrong with what is in the pic. It could be there is a junction box somewhere in the ceiling. Yes the black wire should be marked with a [STRIKE]red sleeve[/STRIKE]. Just put the new fitting up using the same connections and mark the black wire if you like, red nail varnish is a heap easy way.

*brown sleeve

icypear

Thanks for all the really useful advice. I changed it over using the same arrangement as it was in the picture, using the black 'line' cable as the switched live. The new light works fine and switches on and off as normal so I think its all good.

Heedtheadvice

Oh dear, icypear.


Did you not read some posts or just not understand them?


'Working' is not the same as 'ok' and 'safe'. Aside from correct identification, you may have just perpetuated an error.

Ectophile

Whenever anyone asks a question to do with electrics, several people will always tell you to call an electrician, and warn you of the death and destruction if you don't.


It's pretty obvious from the photo that one of the blacks is a switched live, and the others are neutrals. The switched live should really have a bit of red or brown tape or sleeving on it. It looks like there is some red insulating tape in that picture. Maybe it's fallen off.


If the World hasn't come to an end, and the light works, you probably wired it correctly.

EachPenny

Ectophile wrote: »

Whenever anyone asks a question to do with electrics, several people will always tell you to call an electrician, and warn you of the death and destruction if you don't.

It's pretty obvious from the photo that one of the blacks is a switched live, and the others are neutrals. The switched live should really have a bit of red or brown tape or sleeving on it. It looks like there is some red insulating tape in that picture. Maybe it's fallen off.

If the World hasn't come to an end, and the light works, you probably wired it correctly.

So what/why are all the red wires behind the ceiling rose, and why does the earth terminal appear to only have two wires connected to it?

Mr.Generous

EachPenny wrote: »

So what/why are all the red wires behind the ceiling rose, and why does the earth terminal appear to only have two wires connected to it?

The red wires are (probably) live in, live to switch, live to next light on the circuit. Or they could just be a jumble of wires who knows for sure...

There may well be an earth missing, Do a test if you have RCD protection an easy check is neutral to earth at each rose and it should trip the board. If all the roses / light fittings are earthed check at the switches but note there is no neutral at (most) light switches. Best way to check this is a continuity check to any other earth - they should all join up eventually.

If all this is double dutch get some help.


May not be an earth missing, lighting is not a ring, the last light on the circuit 'wire' won't have 3 earths. I was assuming 3 lives and 3 neutrals.

Homersimpson

Looking at this it may be that the extra neutral is from the hall/landing lighting, it used to be common practice to take the live for the hall/landing from the ground floor and connect the neutral to the first floor.

The practice or 'borrowing a neutral' is no longer permitted and will cause problems if the lighting circuits are fed by different RCDs.

It could do with some more investigation to see exactly whats going on, is this the only light on this switch?

Ectophile

EachPenny wrote: »

So what/why are all the red wires behind the ceiling rose, and why does the earth terminal appear to only have two wires connected to it?

Those will be the un-switched lives.