Mend > Lighting

Changing a light fitting?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34041411@N07/sets/72157612196775934/

Attached are the pictures to add detail.

I remove my previous bathroom light fixture only to have the whole thing crash down with wire snapping everywhere!

I have tried to put things together as best I can however i can only get the light to be on all the time. IMG_0018 is probably the best to explain off from, the left:
Wire 1 - Joined Earth
Wire 2 - Joined Red
Wire 3 - Joined Black
Wire 4 - Red
Wire 5 - Black

I have a pull switch in the bathroom. I connected the wires coming down in double (2 & 3) to the light socket and the light stays on all the time. My assumption is that these are the main house wiring for the upstairs lighting.

As soon as I add the other wires (4 & 5) the light come on but as soon as you pull the switch it trips the socket.

Any help?

smartphreak
January 2009

D.I.Y, Lighting Changing Light Fitting

the black wire with the brown sheaf indicates perminant live, so if you are putting this into the switch live at the light fitting, the light will stay on perminantly, take the front off you switch and see what colour you common is and whichever one it is join the same colour at the light fitting with the black with brown sheaf (on a seperate terminal to your light switch wire). If you need more help visit my website at www.sparkyadvice.co.uk. I hope this helped

dale the electrician
April 2009

If you can't understand what a...

four way terminal block

is, perhaps you really should get an electrician.

I stand by my previous answer which I am confident includes all you need to know.

Peccavi
January 2009

Peccavi,

Wire 4 is a black wire with a brown sheath.

my lamp just has two input places for the bulb connection. do i need something else to connect everything together?

can you tell me how i need to connect everything up? I dont really want to understand what I am doing - i just want it to work. Thanks for your help!

Everyone esle just says call an electrician - I know that an electrician will say I need to rewire everything an I dont have the cash for it at the moment. So If I can make a plan to get ti working that would be great!

smartphreak
January 2009

The Black wire with the sleeve is special DO NOT REMOVE THE SLEEVE.

A standard ceiling rose fitting has all the connections you need but if your installation does not use a ceiling rose do this...

Buy a terminal block strip. You will need 4 separate "ways"

All the Earths together - easy

All the Reds together - easy

The Special Black - the one with the sleeve - join it with the brown wire to the lamp - just the two together - nothing else.

Two remaining Blacks and the Blue to the lamp - all together - easy

let there be light!

Peccavi
January 2009

Scary pictures - not pretty the damage or the wires... You have my sympathy...

Normally three Red wires connect together. Live IN - Live Out and Live to the Switch.

Normally two Blacks connect together Neutral In and Neutral Out.

The wire that comes back to the ceiling from the switch is usually Black and is NOT a Neutral - it's switched Line (live) that connects to the lamp and turns it on and off. Joins with lamp Brown. Should have a Red or Brown sleeve on it as an identifying warning.

The other side of the lamp (Blue) joins with the two Neutrals to complete the circuit.

I suspect that you have taken the Black Switched Line wire and connected it to the two neutrals (three black wires together). As soon as the switch is set to ON, live and neutral are connected together with no lamp as a load, consequently the breaker trips.

Peccavi
January 2009