Electric help - no neutral on ceiling light.

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 14:43

Hi,

I’m replacing my ceiling light but the replacement doesn’t seem to have a neutral so I’m not sure how to wire it up.

Can I put the three wires from the light into the live junction box, and then wire the earth in leaving no neutral?

Pic 1 - what I have in the ceiling.
Pic 2 - new light.
Pic 3 - what was there before.

Scream · 24 Oct 2021 at 14:50

Those three cables from the new light, if my eyes aren’t playing tricks, I see a brown, blue and green sleeved core behind those wires?

Jokester · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:00

Is there any markings on the sleeving of the three cores for the new light? If it had just the 2 cores I would have said it doesn't matter, but 3 is a bit pot luck. Is the sleeving totally clear or is there a tinge of colour to each?

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:02

Scream said:
Those three cables from the new light, if my eyes aren’t playing tricks, I see a brown, blue and green sleeved core behind those wires?

I think you’re right!
They are very very faint but I think I see them…

Scream · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:22

My eyes are still good then

andy_mk3 · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:30

**** poor design that is. Should be made clear!

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:34

On closer look, one of the wires is blue, one is turquoise and one is brown… any ideas? @Scream … help!

I guess the turquoise and blue are two neutrals and the brown is live..

200sols · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:44

Brown is live, blue is neutral.... turquoise is (probably) earth but its a bit of a gamble because it is so faint.. IMO that is cheap rubbish, send it back and buy something better.

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:48

There’s an earth (yellow/green) coming off it so assume that’s the only earth?

It was like £250 hah!

Scream · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:50

Turquoise is earth. Not good quality when the earth is that colour.

Join the two earths to your existing earth. Light must be in two halves hence the two earths

200sols · 24 Oct 2021 at 15:53

Ahleckz said:
There’s an earth (yellow/green) coming off it so assume that’s the only earth?

It was like £250 hah!

The clear earth yellow/green is there to earth the exposed metal. Many lights are like this with 2 earth wires.

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 16:05

Thanks guys! It’s up, and lights up!

Jokester · 24 Oct 2021 at 16:11

Just don't touch the metal bits

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 16:19

Jokester said:
Just don't touch the metal bits

I VERY trepidatiously touched them after listening to them for around two minutes. All safe haha

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 16:24

Double post

200sols · 24 Oct 2021 at 17:56

Looks nice anyway

Ahleckz · 24 Oct 2021 at 18:15

I should have said, I wired the turquoise to earth as suggested.

andy_mk3 · 24 Oct 2021 at 18:42

Looks good, glad you got it working. IMHO wiring like that should be able to pass regs, it should at the very least be labelled, but I think it should have much stronger colours.