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spencer2004

hi i am trying to change my livingroom light but cant get it to work, the light before allready had a fitting with only 3 wires coming out which worked with my new light but i had to remove it because it was in the way and caused a 2cm gap between the old light. so anyway 2 switches control this light and the wires are as follows: 3 x red, one black, one blue, 4 green and yellow and a brown wire. i tried to follow the manual but it didnt corrispond with the qualtity of wires, i have tried the following: the 3 red wires are all connected together, the blue and black are connected and goes into the neutral input of the light fitting, the 4 green and yellow wires go into the earth input and the brown goes into live however this config didnt work.

any help would be appriciated, keep in mind i have no electrical knowlage but i do have knowlage of colours :)
 
Hi
what is the result does it stay on all the time or did it blow the fuse? some of the red cables are switched lives ans some perm lives. Remember just because a cable is black it might not be a neutral. have a look inside you light switch and check the colours.

Regards
 
I think you may need to enlist the services of a local competent electrician.

It sounds like an additional cable has been installed on top of whats normally a 3 plate system to serve maybe another lighting point.

If you have no knowledge of electrical systems, then please do get some assistance.
 
hi you say you have 3 reds together so far so good
now you should have 3 blacks one of witch should have red sleeving on
it forget the earths for now

3 reds should be together
2 blacks are neutrals they will connect to blue
1 black with sleeving is return live from switch this connectsto brown


now can you tell me what sort of new light are installing ie
if it is metal it would need earthed if not the earths must connected
together

do not alter any connections in the switches if the above does not solve your problem we may have to identify the switch line this will be done from the LIGHT
 
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Hi

Sorry to quote jason6930 but you might need a electrician, you don't need to be part p to change a light fitting, but it is the place were most novices get stuck.

Regards
 
hi you say you have 3 reds together so far so good
now you should have 3 blacks one of witch should have red sleeving on
it forget the earths for now

3 reds should be together
2 blacks are neutrals they will connect to blue
1 black with sleeving is return live from switch this connectsto brown


now can you tell me what sort of new light are installing ie
if it is metal it would need earthed if not the earths must connected
together

do not alter any connections in the switches if the above does not solve your problem we may have to identify the switch line this will be done from the LIGHT

its metal but the earth wire connects to the fitting, the 3 reds r together, there is only a blue and a black and not 2 blacks, there is no black with sleeving. what u have said is exactly what it said in the manual and somewhere else on the internet so i must have some wierd wireing system, i kind of wish i renembered the previous config b4 i pulled it apart :)
 
hi ok the 3 reds together were they connected in a block on there own
( not connected to old fitting) ?
do you have any way of testing for a live ?
can you do this safely ?
 
just a quick reply if you have no electrical knowledge please remember just because the mcb/fuse is isolated for lighting the neutral conductor IS still live if you toutch the neutral and earth you WILL get a belt and im not talking about to hold your trousers up.
BE CAREFULL !
you can take another light fitting apart for inspection to get an idea of what should be happening and its best to use a DVM and check for continuity to identify the switch live which is conected from switch to a two way connector and identified with brown sleeving/tape the line from your light fitting will connect into the same connector as this and neutral is conected into neutral block with all other neutrals so you end up line block line in (feed)line out(next light) line to switch. return from switch is switch live and so on. for 2 way switching this is interlinked but untill you get your head around the basics DONT move on.
 
just a quick reply if you have no electrical knowledge please remember just because the mcb/fuse is isolated for lighting the neutral conductor IS still live if you toutch the neutral and earth you WILL get a belt and im not talking about to hold your trousers up.
BE CAREFULL !

ah... allmost killed my self :eek:. yes i think it would be best to get a professional to do it as i cant get my head around it, thanks for the help guys!!
 
could try posting your area and contact number then one of us might be able to call by.the only way of a safe isolation is main switch ! if you havent touched the switchs wires this should not be a problem as they will be connected up ok.
 
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just a quick reply if you have no electrical knowledge please remember just because the mcb/fuse is isolated for lighting the neutral conductor IS still live if you toutch the neutral and earth you WILL get a belt and im not talking about to hold your trousers up.
BE CAREFULL !
you can take another light fitting apart for inspection to get an idea of what should be happening and its best to use a DVM and check for continuity to identify the switch live which is conected from switch to a two way connector and identified with brown sleeving/tape the line from your light fitting will connect into the same connector as this and neutral is conected into neutral block with all other neutrals so you end up line block line in (feed)line out(next light) line to switch. return from switch is switch live and so on. for 2 way switching this is interlinked but untill you get your head around the basics DONT move on.

don't see why you would get a belt unless you have a borrowed neutral(but better safe than sorry) But to get back to origional post-----
It might help if you could identify for us how many cores in each cable..Sounds to me like you have a red,black and earth in from previous light,a twin red and earth,going to switch,and a(new colours cable)brown,blueand earth,going to next light(this could either be in same room or next)So pretty standard--black and blue to neutral,earths to earths,split the twin red,one goes to light fitting,other two reds join together with brown(though if you have a second light in the room,you might have to connect brown to the live at the light fitting).Now this only leaves one unaccounted earth wire you have 4 instaed of 3.
 
with the mcb off the circuit is safe to work on i think you are getting
confused with just switching off the light where you could complete the cicuit through
the neutrals to the next light
 
I'm supprised this fault diagnosis by proxy is being entertained. Spencer2004 clearly states he hasn't got a clue what he is doing and the fact that he has been responded to seems to have encoraged him to carry on meddling, resulting in him getting a belt! I thought we, the compentent persons, were supposed to discourage the incompotent ones from killing themselves.
 
I'm supprised this fault diagnosis by proxy is being entertained. Spencer2004 clearly states he hasn't got a clue what he is doing and the fact that he has been responded to seems to have encoraged him to carry on meddling, resulting in him getting a belt! I thought we, the compentent persons, were supposed to discourage the incompotent ones from killing themselves.

It has been recommended to him a number of times, that he enlists the services of a competent person.
 
with the mcb off the circuit is safe to work on i think you are getting
confused with just switching off the light where you could complete the cicuit through
the neutrals to the next light

Not true ! but all things aside as you must know there is a wonderfull array of wiring out there some safe some not so safe what is said is that unless a person has some basic electrical knowledge and doesnt take anything for granted and assume every house is wired right then its best left to a competent person.
regards
Tony.

just a quick reply if you have no electrical knowledge please remember just because the mcb/fuse is isolated for lighting the neutral conductor could still be live ! if so if you toutch the neutral and earth you WILL get a belt and im not talking about to hold your trousers up.
BE CAREFULL !
you can take another light fitting apart for inspection to get an idea of what should be happening and its best to use a DVM and check for continuity to identify the switch live which is conected from switch to a two way connector and identified with brown sleeving/tape the line from your light fitting will connect into the same connector as this and neutral is conected into neutral block with all other neutrals so you end up line block line in (feed)line out(next light) line to switch. return from switch is switch live and so on. for 2 way switching this is interlinked but untill you get your head around the basics DONT move on.

soz guys ment neutral could still be live ! Thanks mrloy.
Regards
Tony
 
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