light fixture question

Phoenix211 · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:01

Hey all. Just moved into a new property and putting up some new lights. Front room was easy but now in the kitchen, this doesnt make any sense!

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3427/1ptl.jpg

there seems to be 2 neutral wires and 2 live wires. No earth. 1 neutral goes into the live of the current light, 1 into the neutral and then 2 lives just into nothing. Anyone got any ideas? cheers

2bit · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:05

Phoenix211 said:
Hey all. Just moved into a new property and putting up some new lights. Front room was easy but now in the kitchen, this doesnt make any sense!

http://img43.imageshack.us/i/imag0047km.jpg

there seems to be 2 neutral wires and 2 live wires. No earth. 1 neutral goes into the live of the current light, 1 into the neutral and then 2 lives just into nothing. Can anyone shed any light please. cheers

Can we shed any light?

No

Phoenix211 · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:12

2bit said:
Can we shed any light?

No

Changed the post to make you happy

RJC · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:15

The Neutral which goes into the live side of the light fitting should have had a red sheath over it as this would be the switched live.

Not all lighting circuits have a earth, my Maisonette has no earth on the lighting circuit.

Phoenix211 · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:19

ok so done a bit of research and this looks like it has a live loop? Question I have is new light fixture only has 3 blocks. Live, earth and neutral. I can connect the neutral to neutral, put the 2 lives in the centre (?) and then the switched live (other black one) in the live block?

2bit · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:20

RJC said:
The Neutral which goes into the live side of the light fitting should have had a red sheath over it as this would be the switched live.

Not all lighting circuits have a earth, my Maisonette has no earth on the lighting circuit.

The neutral goes to live?

HardwareGeek · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:46

sound like the last light in the loop so only 2 cables not 3

2 cables running to the light....1st cable is from the light before this one on the loop, is the feed, live and neutral..2nd cable is the switch for this light, goes to light switch, is live and switch live

wire neutral to neutral
both lives joined together.. to send power to the switch
black switch live to live of the fitting....power from the switch when 'on'

if you mix them up and forget which black is the sl, it will work both ways cos there are only 2 blacks, but better to get them the correct way around if you can.

can be tested by multimeter, continuity between red and black cores of each cable and flicking the switch, one will make and break with the switch, this is the switch live

ZG002 · 26 Aug 2013 at 20:51

Phoenix211 said:
ok so done a bit of research and this looks like it has a live loop? Question I have is new light fixture only has 3 blocks. Live, earth and neutral. I can connect the neutral to neutral, put the 2 lives in the centre (?) and then the switched live (other black one) in the live block?

Not really. What fitting do you have to go up?

That centre connection is very likely connected to the earth of the fitting... As you can guess connecting live to that isn't a good thing.

You are likely to need a separate connector block for your lives, Also take that pendant down and check the earths haven't just been cut off or tucked up behind. Either of those blacks could be your neutral also...

Phoenix211 · 26 Aug 2013 at 21:23

Yeah I can remove the earth and use the centre one one for the two lives. The current connection seems to work so I'm just gonna use what is there. That picture is of the current light fixture.

Nightglow · 27 Aug 2013 at 08:30

ZG002 said:
That centre connection is very likely connected to the earth of the fitting... As you can guess connecting live to that isn't a good thing.

That centre block isn't connected to any earth it's just terminal block, like the others.

Mark the switch live with some red tape, that's the black wire going to brown wire terminal.

ZG002 · 27 Aug 2013 at 16:16

Nightglow said:
That centre block isn't connected to any earth it's just terminal block, like the others.

Mark the switch live with some red tape, that's the black wire going to brown wire terminal.

Meant on his new fitting... The centre connections are for your live loop.