Help with wiring in a new light fitting

subjecttocontract

What I've done in the past is to screw a temporary hook into the ceiling. I then hang the light fitting from the hook using some wire and that gives you both hands free to connect the wiring.

ashe

Good idea!

CSI_Yorkshire

Based on the photograph of the instructions, the single terminal block is for the live (if it's not a plastic block I'd suggest wrapping it in electrician's tape after installing, you don't want exposed live things in your ceiling) - with switched live, neutral and earth going into the 3-terminal block on the fitting.

ashe

Yes the single block is a plastic one. 

So the single block has the 2x live (red) cables from ceiling to the single block and no wire goes from that to the light. 

then for the light's main terminal block;

neutral (the black on the left in first image) - the first row 
earth (green & yellow) - the middle row
Switched live - blue out of the ceiling with the little red part at front - the third row

Would that be correct?

@gavin83 with ref to;

Switched Live: Is actually the neutral from the switch cable which controls the light going on and off when you flick the switch. This should really have a red sleeve over the cable but this is sometimes skipped, as it appears to be in your case.

in below photo you can see a small amount of red sleeve at bottom so presume this is switched live?

CSI_Yorkshire

ashe said:

Yes the single block is a plastic one. 

So the single block has the 2x live (red) cables from ceiling to the single block and no wire goes from that to the light. 

then for the light's main terminal block;

neutral (the black on the left in first image) - the first row 
earth (green & yellow) - the middle row
Switched live - blue out of the ceiling with the little red part at front - the third row

Would that be correct?

@gavin83 with ref to;

Switched Live: Is actually the neutral from the switch cable which controls the light going on and off when you flick the switch. This should really have a red sleeve over the cable but this is sometimes skipped, as it appears to be in your case.

in below photo you can see a small amount of red sleeve at bottom so presume this is switched live?

Two reds to the single block, nothing to the light - yes, I agree.

Middle at the moment is blue (so neutral) according to your light pendant - but I see the 'bit of red' you are talking about, so could well be your switched live.

Earth is obvious.

Live (according to your pendant) is the black at the end, because it has the not-blue connection to it - but could be the neutral if the 'bit of red' tells the truth.

All brilliantly confused by the instructions for your new fitting that refer to blue and brown (the UK norm) but the actual cables are black and white - probably the US colour scheme where white is neutral and not-white-or-green is 'hot' (live).

ashe

CSI_Yorkshire said:

ashe said:

Yes the single block is a plastic one. 

So the single block has the 2x live (red) cables from ceiling to the single block and no wire goes from that to the light. 

then for the light's main terminal block;

neutral (the black on the left in first image) - the first row 
earth (green & yellow) - the middle row
Switched live - blue out of the ceiling with the little red part at front - the third row

Would that be correct?

@gavin83 with ref to;

Switched Live: Is actually the neutral from the switch cable which controls the light going on and off when you flick the switch. This should really have a red sleeve over the cable but this is sometimes skipped, as it appears to be in your case.

in below photo you can see a small amount of red sleeve at bottom so presume this is switched live?

Two reds to the single block, nothing to the light - yes, I agree.

Middle at the moment is blue (so neutral) according to your light pendant - but I see the 'bit of red' you are talking about, so could well be your switched live.

Earth is obvious.

Live (according to your pendant) is the black at the end, because it has the not-blue connection to it - but could be the neutral if the 'bit of red' tells the truth.

All brilliantly confused by the instructions for your new fitting that refer to blue and brown (the UK norm) but the actual cables are black and white - probably the US colour scheme where white is neutral and not-white-or-green is 'hot' (live).

Thanks - is there a way to know its done correctly? Or will it just not work/trip?

I've edited the post above as the photo i referenced failed to upload, i used flash so it would be a bit clearer

CSI_Yorkshire

ashe said:

CSI_Yorkshire said:

ashe said:

Yes the single block is a plastic one. 

So the single block has the 2x live (red) cables from ceiling to the single block and no wire goes from that to the light. 

then for the light's main terminal block;

neutral (the black on the left in first image) - the first row 
earth (green & yellow) - the middle row
Switched live - blue out of the ceiling with the little red part at front - the third row

Would that be correct?

@gavin83 with ref to;

Switched Live: Is actually the neutral from the switch cable which controls the light going on and off when you flick the switch. This should really have a red sleeve over the cable but this is sometimes skipped, as it appears to be in your case.

in below photo you can see a small amount of red sleeve at bottom so presume this is switched live?

Two reds to the single block, nothing to the light - yes, I agree.

Middle at the moment is blue (so neutral) according to your light pendant - but I see the 'bit of red' you are talking about, so could well be your switched live.

Earth is obvious.

Live (according to your pendant) is the black at the end, because it has the not-blue connection to it - but could be the neutral if the 'bit of red' tells the truth.

All brilliantly confused by the instructions for your new fitting that refer to blue and brown (the UK norm) but the actual cables are black and white - probably the US colour scheme where white is neutral and not-white-or-green is 'hot' (live).

Thanks - is there a way to know its done correctly? Or will it just not work/trip?

I've edited the post above as the photo i referenced failed to upload, i used flash so it would be a bit clearer

You could always do a continuity test from the neutral at the switch to each of those black cable ends - that would tell you which it is (and could be done with the circuit dead).

Or an out-and-back continuity if you don't have extension leads for your test kit.

Alanp

It looks like the lighting was wired as a loop in circuit, ( that’s what it used to be called when I was an electrician many moons ago) that looks to be the last light on the circuit, normally there’d be three red wires, if it were just to be replaced with another pendant then so long as the two red wires, were connected together ( earth wire also in its correct terminal) then it wouldn’t matter which side the black wires went, but as yours is coloured differently, it might matter, are there markings on the plastic terminals indicating live and neutral?..

ashe

 Just a quick update... joined the two live wires in the separate terminal block and taped them off 

wired up switched live, earth and neutral to the light and it works great. Bracket installed into the wood in the ceiling perfectly 

less perfect was the hue bulbs ( e14 candle)  I was planning to use, as our entire house is Hue, are too long to fit 

i noticed hue does "lustre" bulbs which are the little golfball ones but only do plain white. I bought a dumb version but it didn't fit through the opening on the glass globe, ballache! 

So had to get some much shorter filament candle lights and now having to install a switch back box zigbee based device to integrate this light with our home lighting system 

thanks for the help all!

Gavin83

Looks great! Glad it all went well.