New light fitting?

Did the light work with the old fitting as it looks as though there will be another junction box somewhere .

A useful bit of kit is a Mains Neon Test Screwdriver which lights up if the tip touches a live wire or connector..

This will mean that the wires at the ceiling and also the switch can be checked to see which is the live , the switched live and the neutral.

Basically the live is fed from a common point (ceiling rose OR a junction box in the ceiling void) to the switch . The other side of the switch then goes to the ceiling rose as a "switched live " (marked with a red band )and connects to one side of the light fitting/bulb. The other side is the common neutral.


If this doesn`t make any sense to you then seek professional help as electricity is very dangerous.

Don`t guess where the wires go !

sparky man
November 2008

Lord Finchley tried to mend the Electric Light
Himself. It struck him dead: And serve him right!
It is the business of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan.

The ususal arrangement in the UK is that a cable with black and red wires goes from the ceiling to the switch - power goes out on the red wire and comes back on a BLACK wire (when the switch is on) - this must have an identifying red (brown) sleeve on it to show that it's switched live - i.e Dangerous and NOT a Neutral wire - this wire connects to the pendant flex Brown wire.

What you describe is very scary - you are missing a black wire in the ceiling (probably the switched live) and could easily have a nasty accident - get an electrician in.

Peccavi
November 2008