Wiring lights with unlabeled wires, please help

[davidt]

Hi, I recently purchased this light fixture and am confused as to which wire goes where. There seem to be 3 "white wires," plus a green wire that's wrapped around one of them. Can someone help guide me? Thanks!!!

 

[westward10]

The green/yellow is ground. The three white wires appear to be two core with a hot and neutral to each, what do the instructions state.

 

[DPG]

Is the fitting brand new? Was there some sort of connector block with it?

 

[davidt]

The green/yellow is ground. The three white wires appear to be two core with a hot and neutral to each, what do the instructions state.

Thanks for taking the time to answer! The instructions were in a different language, so not a big help. So the 2 "core" will connect to the white, the hot to the black and the ground to the ground? How can I tell the difference between the 2 cores and the hot if they're the same color?

 

[davidt]

Is the fitting brand new? Was there some sort of connector block with it?

This was all that was in the box. The wires from the ceiling are standard, it's just this fixture has me confused...

 

[telectrix]

looks dodgy to me. those wires seem to be singl core.if so, it's using the ground as a live conductor.if so, the bin is the logical home for it.

 

[davidt]

looks dodgy to me. those wires seem to be singl core.if so, it's using the ground as a live conductor.if so, the bin is the logical home for it.

You may be right. What's that mean if it's using the ground as a live conductor?

 

[westward10]

They do look like two core but I agree it doesn't look the best quality I have ever seen. Can you show a clearer picture of the end to one of the wires.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

What type of light is it? What voltage?

 

[davidt]

What type of light is it? What voltage?

It says 220V-240V. I'm assuming it doesn't work in the US?

 

[hba]

A DIYers point of view. You can shoot me down from a regulatory compliance point of view but I hope you'll think this makes sense from a practical one.

The three wires look two core to me. I'd guess that they go to lampholders of a sort that is symmetrical like a GU10. You can buy a 'bare' lampholder like the ones in my photo and they come with two white leads. There's no reason why one lead and not the other should be the live one, and in a proper fitting one of each pair would be arbitrarily designated live and connect to a connection box labelled L N and E.

So from a regulatory point of view this is presumably not right. But from a practical point of view, and what I'd do if I'd bought one, is to check the wiring is as I've said and if so shorten the three leads and connect them and the earth lead to a suitable junction box with the cores labelled, which might then need to be fixed to the body of the fitting. Whether a professional electrician would be right to do this I don't know but I'd consider the resulting fitting would be fully equivalent to a proper one. Shoot me down if I'm wrong.

It would be a good idea to inspect and test it first! I've bought Chinese equipment with live and neutral specified, but with the switch in the neutral not the live side.

 

[SJD]

Is anyone else wondering why there seems to be a mass of feathers on the other side of the fitting? It would be interesting to see a photo of the other side.

 

[davidt]

A DIYers point of view. You can shoot me down from a regulatory compliance point of view but I hope you'll think this makes sense from a practical one.

The three wires look two core to me. I'd guess that they go to lampholders of a sort that is symmetrical like a GU10. You can buy a 'bare' lampholder like the ones in my photo and they come with two white leads. There's no reason why one lead and not the other should be the live one, and in a proper fitting one of each pair would be arbitrarily designated live and connect to a connection box labelled L N and E.

So from a regulatory point of view this is presumably not right. But from a practical point of view, and what I'd do if I'd bought one, is to check the wiring is as I've said and if so shorten the three leads and connect them and the earth lead to a suitable junction box with the cores labelled, which might then need to be fixed to the body of the fitting. Whether a professional electrician would be right to do this I don't know but I'd consider the resulting fitting would be fully equivalent to a proper one. Shoot me down if I'm wrong.

It would be a good idea to inspect and test it first! I've bought Chinese equipment with live and neutral specified, but with the switch in the neutral not the live side.

thank you for the in depth answer, really appreciate that. I'm gonna try that and see what happens. So basically next time don't buy something from China.

 

[hba]

thank you for the in depth answer, really appreciate that. I'm gonna try that and see what happens. So basically next time don't buy something from China.

See what the pros think first! It's hard not to buy from China, but the thing I bought with the switch in the neutral (so it stays live even when off) I complained about to the UK supplier and trading standards and it seems to have been taken off the UK market. Don't like to do that but it was really dangerous.

If the light fitting will replace a ceiling rose you should use a junction box with four connectors if it's "loop-in" wiring, which has a permanent live from the supply and a switched live to the light, connected by a cable to the wall switch.

 

[brianmoooore]

Looks like they could have spent a bit less on the lamp wires, and a bit more on the earth wire.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

you should use a junction box with four connectors if it's "loop-in" wiring...

You're not wrong, but I can tell from the way you phrased that, you hadn't spotted the OP is in the USA, where the conventions and regulations are somewhat different; it can get confusing if the instructions are highly specific to the wrong country.

I agree that if it uses 2-pin lampholders the polarity is unimportant, but if they are E27, there is a shock risk if the lamp cap is connected to the hot. We don't know yet what kind of lamp sockets are fitted. OP, please can you confirm what lamps it takes or post a pic of the lamp sockets.

 

[hba]

You're right, I'd assumed they were in the UK. Let's see what type the OP's sockets are.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Notwithstanding the cable and if its two core you should not have tried to balance the light on top of your Parrot.