Help installing 2 outdoor lights

stumorley · Sep 16, 2012

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could help with an issue I've got.
We've recently bought a new build house and asked for 2 outdoor light points either side of the door to work off an indoor switch.
We've bought 2 lights and now have come to fit them.

On the left hand side of the door is the first light point.
It has 2 thick grey cables, each consisting of a Black, Grey, Brown and Bare wire.
The right hand side of the door is the second light point.
This has a single grey cable consisting of a Black, Grey, Brown and Bare wire.
(Forgive my ignorance but are they 3 core and earth cables?)

The 2 lights are non-motion sensor lights, they are simple outdoor lights.
Each has a small plastic box with a blue, yellow-green and brown.

I know very little about electrics, but I'm guessing if I only had 1 light outside then there would only be 1 cable coming from within the house, but as there is 2 I must have to link them some how.

Anyone any ideas?

(House was only built a month ago so has the latest regulations or whatever im guessing)

Thanks for your help
!

derek preece · Sep 16, 2012

If you are not confident/competent with electrical installations then perhaps you should consider getting a professional in who can ensure the lights are installed safely and tested properly.

telectrix · Sep 16, 2012

you do need to get a sparks in to determine what cable is what and where they come from. have switches been installed? and several other points.

Richard Burns · Sep 17, 2012

The wiring is 3 core and earth cable, the bare wire should be the earth cable and should be sleeved with green and yellow sleeving before connection.
The likelihood is that the power is supplied to the left hand light by one cable and then goes on through the other cable to the right hand light. The fact that there are three cores seems to indicate an additional function, possibly intended for a PIR sensor light and possibly manual override.

However this is supposition because it is not possible to tell how the electrician has used the cores of the cable and for what functions without testing the circuit and seeing how the light switch is wired. There are general conventions but these may well have been not used in this case and to provide concrete information that is safe to use you would need someone on site.