Question about a new ceiling light

AshleyC

AshleyC

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Ok I got a new light for the bedroom and have gone to wire it up. However, the light has a socket for live and neutral. The cables coming out the ceiling from the old light are earth, live and 2 neutrals.

Can I just tape of the earth and put one of the neutrals in the new light, taping the other off or would I need to put both neutral lines in the same hole in the light fitting.
 
Both neutrals were probably in the same connector in the old fitting. if so it is part of the same line not a separate wire ,. and goes to the next fitting in the line

Is there no way to earth the new fitting. earthing is good.

(However one of the neutrals may also be a live , house electricians do not always use the correct cables, so better check.) you can not assume anything in old wiring. you would expect there to be two lives coming and going from the switch.
 
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ecoleman said:
This is how most lights are wired in the UK

www.ceilingrosewiring.co.uk

Ceiling rose wiring (older cable colours)

www.ceilingrosewiring.co.uk www.ceilingrosewiring.co.uk

I'm not sure what you mean by the light socket. Do you mean the connections in the rose?
Click to expand...
The drawing shows how it should be, however most electricians would use twin & earth for the switch wire which means that one of the wires for the switch would actually be Black, not Red. If so it should have a red sleeve or red tape on it. NB I have just seen the 2nd drawing in the link showing what I was saying.
As for the OP's problem it does not really make much sense, if you look/feel in the ceiling hole are there any connector blocks tucked out of the way?
In the linked diagram connections 3 4 & 5 may be in a separate block in the ceiling space. If so then Red to one of the lights connectors and the 2 Blacks to the other.
 
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Suvv said:
The drawing shows how it should be, however most electricians would use twin & earth for the switch wire which means that one of the wires for the switch would actually be Black, not Red. If so it should have a red sleeve or red tape on it. NB I have just seen the 2nd drawing in the link showing what I was saying.
As for the OP's problem it does not really make much sense, if you look/feel in the ceiling hole are there any connector blocks tucked out of the way?
In the linked diagram connections 3 4 & 5 may be in a separate block in the ceiling space. If so then Red to one of the lights connectors and the 2 Blacks to the other.
Click to expand...

Everything you say may be true but I wasn't speculating, I was simply giving the OP a diagram of how things should be which should help him work out what's what. Yes the switched live maybe black and unless the OP has a multimeter or a good heart it's going to be difficult to work out what each wire is.
 
ah ok thanks. i actually removed the connection plate, the one with all the connectors inside that circle in the diagram! I thought it was just part of the old fitting but makes sense now to leave that in and just connect the new light fitting to it!

Although I think I have bigger problems to worry about. Even though i had the switches off on the fuse box I still got electrocuted! so there is something weird going on in the wiring of this place. Time for a proper sparky to take a look!
 
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As I suggested old wiring is a big problem area. Anyone can have done anything, including past house holders and unqualified handy men.
 
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