Old lighting wired in singles in conduit

[TheCodboy]

Looking for some pointers in the right direction if possible. I come from a background of domestic work and general house bashing but I’ve been given the chance to expand my work into more commercial stuff. I will be doing this under guidance from a good friend of mine who is more commercial. Any way,to get back to the point, I have been asked to change 5 fluorescent fittings like for like with led battens. When I dropped the first fitting, there were 2 lives connected together and a neutral. So this to me looks like 2 S/L as if there is another light flexed from this one, but there isn’t. The new fitting works as it should as I basically wired it back up like for like. My obvious question, why 2 lives connected together? Am I missing something obvious? The install is quite dated, probably 70’s. Also there are emergency fittings fed from the S/L and neutral of the battens. No key switches etc. I would suggest that these emergency fitting have been installed incorrectly? Many thanks.

 

[freddo]

Could be wired any way, neutrals might come from one direction, lives another. Cables likely pulled in for the shortest route. Or the wiring could have been modified badly like it has been where we are currently working in which case it's anyones guess. The other red might be capped off somewhere in a box perhaps fed a previously removed light.

 

[Dustydazzler]

You could have seperated the lives put everything temporarily into seperate wagos and switched on to see what didn’t come back on...?

 

[Pete999]

Looking for some pointers in the right direction if possible. I come from a background of domestic work and general house bashing but I’ve been given the chance to expand my work into more commercial stuff. I will be doing this under guidance from a good friend of mine who is more commercial. Any way,to get back to the point, I have been asked to change 5 fluorescent fittings like for like with led battens. When I dropped the first fitting, there were 2 lives connected together and a neutral. So this to me looks like 2 S/L as if there is another light flexed from this one, but there isn’t. The new fitting works as it should as I basically wired it back up like for like. My obvious question, why 2 lives connected together? Am I missing something obvious? The install is quite dated, probably 70’s. Also there are emergency fittings fed from the S/L and neutral of the battens. No key switches etc. I would suggest that these emergency fitting have been installed incorrectly? Many thanks.

S/L onto the next fitting??????????????? one in, one out.

 

[TheCodboy]

You could have seperated the lives put everything temporarily into seperate wagos and switched on to see what didn’t come back on...?

Yes, that’s something I could try when I go back to change the others ??
[automerge]1580587511[/automerge]

S/L onto the next fitting??????????????? one in, one out.

The other fittings each have there own switch. Or am I missing the bigger picture here?
[automerge]1580587569[/automerge]

Could be wired any way, neutrals might come from one direction, lives another. Cables likely pulled in for the shortest route. Or the wiring could have been modified badly like it has been where we are currently working in which case it's anyones guess. The other red might be capped off somewhere in a box perhaps fed a previously removed light.

I’m a bit concerned about the Emergency fittings too.

 

[ipf]

I’m a bit concerned about the Emergency fittings too.

Wiring amiss, it seems. There should be a permanent live for battery charging. If they're mains fed from a lighting circuit, that is.

 

[TheCodboy]

Wiring amiss, it seems. There should be a permanent live for battery charging. If they're mains and fed from a lighting circuit, that is.

That’s what I was thinking. When the batten is switched on the charging light (green indicator) comes on. When the power is cut the emergency light does nothing.

 

[freddo]

Looks like the emergency is wired to the switched live then, not good.

 

[TheCodboy]

Looks like the emergency is wired to the switched live then, not good.

And it’s a stairwell with limited natural light

 

[ipf]

Seems like it needs a good bit of looking at. How old is it and is there any evidence of changes? If it's a conduit job, in decent nick, it shouldn't be too difficult to rewire to suit and change the switch to a 2g with test switch.
edit. Just seen your last post.......stairwell may mean problems. Is the conduit surface? If so, it'll be a damn site easier.

 

[TheCodboy]

Seems like it needs a good bit of looking at. How old is it and is there any evidence of changes? If it's a conduit job, in decent nick, it shouldn't be too difficult to rewire to suit and change the switch to a 2g with test switch.

The only evidence of changes is the fact there are newish mcb’s in the 3ph board. Apart from that it all looks very original late 60’s-70’s ish. All galv conduit.

 

[ipf]

The only evidence of changes is the fact there are newish mcb’s in the 3ph board. Apart from that it all looks very original late 60’s-70’s ish. All galv conduit.

Give 'em a report with all problems listed. If they're sound, it could be a decent little job for you.

 

[TheCodboy]

Give 'em a report with all problems listed. If they're sound, it could be a decent little job for you.

Well those emergency lights certainly need looked at. Could effect their insurance possibly.

 

[Vortigern]

So you could pull in two new lives with the old S/L (by which I presume you mean switched live) It might be prudent to enquire as to their test routine with the emergency lights as clearly there is none as it would have been picked up that the charging light only comes on with the switch live being energised. It may well be the case that the batteries are done for in the emergency light as they should get a charge when the light is on and come on when the light is switched off in emergency mode. Again that should have been noticed. When you speak of the neutral at the light, do you mean there is only one neutral?

 

[TheCodboy]

So you could pull in two new lives with the old S/L (by which I presume you mean switched live) It might be prudent to enquire as to their test routine with the emergency lights as clearly there is none as it would have been picked up that the charging light only comes on with the switch live being energised. It may well be the case that the batteries are done for in the emergency light as they should get a charge when the light is on and come on when the light is switched off in emergency mode. Again that should have been noticed. When you speak of the neutral at the light, do you mean there is only one neutral?

Yes just one neutral at the light.