How to replace my light?

ChilliBob

Hey guys, we have purchased a new light, before we decide to keep it I wanted to make sure we would be able to use it..

So, upstairs light off I took the old light partially off to see what it looked like. 

The new light is nice and clean:


Now the old light, well, it's a bit of a mess!


So, my thoughts were if I get a bit higher/closer I should just be able to see where the existing lights joined to, and join up to the same.

However, this is way messier than I expected, what's all the brown tape going on?

The Bog standard ceiling rose and bayonet holders are way cleaner.

So, does this look 'normal', just go slow it'll be fine, or very odd, get someone to look into it first! 

Cheers! 

ChilliBob

A 'normal'  rose in the other room:


The new light is a metal pendant thingy so it makes it clear it needs to be earthed, which doesn't appear to be an issue as I can see an earth cable in both pics. 

DanDare999

If you don't know what you're doing then get someone who does.

Its simple to sort.

The lives will be in the chockblock.

Switched live to the L on the light. Neutrals to N. Earths to the E.

ChilliBob

Yeah, I sort of know, it just looked quite different to what I expected in that main light tbh. 

I did figure following what the existing light is connected into should be straightforward.

Just annoying to buy a light fitting for £40 and probably be charged a couple of hundred to have someone wire it up!.. I'm happy to put the bracket up, do all thay jazz, so it's literally a few screws... Which are imperative to gey right! 

molerat

One of those choc blocks that are taped up will have 2 wires coming from it disappearing down that tube,  that is where the L & N of the new light need connecting to.  And of course the earth needs connecting as well.

ChilliBob

Cheers both. I'm tossing up between having a go myself vs getting a sparky in and having a few jobs lined up for him/her/them at the same time - stuff I know I won't go near.

But, to be sure, there is no reason *why* said new light won't work for us?

grumbler

ChilliBob said:

But, to be sure, there is no reason *why* said new light won't work for us?

I don't see any, but after decrypting the existing mess you'll probably need an extra piece of terminal block for 'line'. The new fitting has only 'switched line'.

Ectophile

I would suggest trying to tease out the existing wires, to see what goes where, before disconnecting the old light.  Then make sure you label the wires before disconnecting them.

It looks like a horrid mess of terminal blocks and "bodge" tape has been used.

ChilliBob

grumbler said:

ChilliBob said:

But, to be sure, there is no reason *why* said new light won't work for us?

I don't see any, but after decrypting the existing mess you'll probably need an extra piece of terminal block for 'line'. The new fitting has only 'switched line'.

Cheers, yeah that's no bother I have some and have done similar before. I think in conclusion we will keep the light and when our bathroom is redone on October welly ask their sparky mate to come round  

ChilliBob

Ectophile said:

I would suggest trying to tease out the existing wires, to see what goes where, before disconnecting the old light.  Then make sure you label the wires before disconnecting them.

It looks like a horrid mess of terminal blocks and "bodge" tape has been used.

Yeah, it wasn't as clean as I was expecting for sure. All the electrics were replaced about 12 years ago, but I have my doubts on how competent the person doing it was!

We have broken in porch lights which it seems because they didn't work they just cut the cable under the stairs for example.. And a couple of gu10 holders which on moving day we were told had blown transformers or something! 

Gavin83

It would probably be easier to work out if you took the tape off, although it could be that some bodger has twisted cables together and used tape rather than a terminal block.

I hate those tiny terminal blocks you get with new lights, they’re never big enough so I tend to swap them out. I’ve actually got a bunch of Wago connectors after having to buy a box for a underfloor connection and these do the job perfectly.