Hi,
I need to connect a light to the light wiring. Due to the hazardless nature, and not understanding which wires do what or the terminology, I would like your guidance on the task.
An electrician recently connected a new light to old style wiring. A day later, I unscrewed the light casement so I could paint around it, the weight of the light casement hanging for the duration of the painting resulted in some wires becoming loose and the light no longer working.
Considering it should only be the case re-connecting the wiring, I feel I can do this myself but with guidance. I've included several photos to show the situation. The light trip-switch is off at the main switch box.
Photo 1: Before work - are the old style wires connected to the old light socket. I don't think you can tell from the photo but, from memory, there were three Red wires and three Black wires.
Photo 2: Wires came loose - is after the electrician attached the new light but with the wires coming loose due to the weight of the light casement. You can see one Black wire that has come out of the White connection box on the light itself. There is also another Black wire that was loose but I couldn't be sure if it was too connected to the White connection box or if it was just loose/exposed but, for safety, I have applied yellow electrical tape over it. I do know that the light did work when all the other wires were connected but this single Black wire (the wire with the electrical tape) was loose.
You can see from this photo, the Brown (Live?) wire is fixed into hole 1, the Blue (Neutral?) wire is fixed into hole 6. These connections are how the light was made.
At this point, I was concerned the light would fall due to only being held up by two wires so I unclamped (by pressing the 'L' and 'Earth' plastic levers) to release the remaining Black wire and Earth wire.
Photo 3: Front of new wiring - this shows what the electrician has done. To clarify:
1) The original three Red wires have been placed into a transparent box thing where the wires go no further.
2) There is a wire (I don't think the wire is new) that has a yellow/green sleeve put over it (this sleeve is new). There are two yellow/green wires in use here, one comes from the ceiling wires and goes into a white terminal box and the other wire seems to be new. The new yellow/green wire has come loose but it's end 'A' went into the same end of the terminal box as the wire from the ceiling went into. From what I've seen online, the wire from the ceiling goes into one end of the termination box and the new wire is fitted to the other end of the terminal box - this isn't the case here. End 'B' of the new wire went into the 'Earth' hole on White connection box on the light casement.
3) The original three Black wires are still in use. I know one of them went into hole 1 (the first of the two 'Live' holes) - so directly opposite the Brown wire from the light casement. Another of the Black wires went into one the 'Neutral' holes (not sure if it was hole 5 or 6). The third and final Black wire, the one I've put electrical tape around, I'm not sure if it was connected to the White connection box or if it was always free. I do know the light worked when this third Black wire wasn't connected, so if it's not needed, should it be put in a terminal box or is the electrical tape suffice, or should this third wire go into the remaining 'Neutral' hole (as it was around the Neutral area when loose).
Photo 4: Front of light connector - this shows you the opposite of the light casement's White connection box where the wires, from the ceiling, went in to.
It does seem like it's the case of simply reconnecting the now loose wires back into the holes on the light casement's White connection box - would you agree? If yes, please can you guide me on the following:
1) Can any one of the Black wires go into hole 1 (Live)? Would I be correct in thinking it needs to go in the hole directly opposite the Brown (Live) wire from the light itself?
2) Can any one of the Black wires go into hole 6 (Neutral)? Would I be correct in thinking it needs to go in the hole directly opposite the Blue (Neutral) wire from the light itself?
3) Should the third Black wire (the wire that has electrical tape) be placed in any hole or is the electrical tape suffice and Safe?
3) Should the free-standing Earth wire end 'A' (refer to photo) be attached to the same end of the terminal box as the Earth wire from the ceiling goes into (as the electrician did), or should the free-standing earth wire go into the other end of the terminal box as I've seen online?
I think it's just the case of doing the above. My concern is if I place any of the wires in the wrong holes (possibly due to the Black wires being different, albeit the same colour) then it may start a fire or someone may get electrocuted if they touch the metal/chrome light casement. Is this concern valid?
Any guidance or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
I need to connect a light to the light wiring. Due to the hazardless nature, and not understanding which wires do what or the terminology, I would like your guidance on the task.
An electrician recently connected a new light to old style wiring. A day later, I unscrewed the light casement so I could paint around it, the weight of the light casement hanging for the duration of the painting resulted in some wires becoming loose and the light no longer working.
Considering it should only be the case re-connecting the wiring, I feel I can do this myself but with guidance. I've included several photos to show the situation. The light trip-switch is off at the main switch box.
Photo 1: Before work - are the old style wires connected to the old light socket. I don't think you can tell from the photo but, from memory, there were three Red wires and three Black wires.
Photo 2: Wires came loose - is after the electrician attached the new light but with the wires coming loose due to the weight of the light casement. You can see one Black wire that has come out of the White connection box on the light itself. There is also another Black wire that was loose but I couldn't be sure if it was too connected to the White connection box or if it was just loose/exposed but, for safety, I have applied yellow electrical tape over it. I do know that the light did work when all the other wires were connected but this single Black wire (the wire with the electrical tape) was loose.
You can see from this photo, the Brown (Live?) wire is fixed into hole 1, the Blue (Neutral?) wire is fixed into hole 6. These connections are how the light was made.
At this point, I was concerned the light would fall due to only being held up by two wires so I unclamped (by pressing the 'L' and 'Earth' plastic levers) to release the remaining Black wire and Earth wire.
Photo 3: Front of new wiring - this shows what the electrician has done. To clarify:
1) The original three Red wires have been placed into a transparent box thing where the wires go no further.
2) There is a wire (I don't think the wire is new) that has a yellow/green sleeve put over it (this sleeve is new). There are two yellow/green wires in use here, one comes from the ceiling wires and goes into a white terminal box and the other wire seems to be new. The new yellow/green wire has come loose but it's end 'A' went into the same end of the terminal box as the wire from the ceiling went into. From what I've seen online, the wire from the ceiling goes into one end of the termination box and the new wire is fitted to the other end of the terminal box - this isn't the case here. End 'B' of the new wire went into the 'Earth' hole on White connection box on the light casement.
3) The original three Black wires are still in use. I know one of them went into hole 1 (the first of the two 'Live' holes) - so directly opposite the Brown wire from the light casement. Another of the Black wires went into one the 'Neutral' holes (not sure if it was hole 5 or 6). The third and final Black wire, the one I've put electrical tape around, I'm not sure if it was connected to the White connection box or if it was always free. I do know the light worked when this third Black wire wasn't connected, so if it's not needed, should it be put in a terminal box or is the electrical tape suffice, or should this third wire go into the remaining 'Neutral' hole (as it was around the Neutral area when loose).
Photo 4: Front of light connector - this shows you the opposite of the light casement's White connection box where the wires, from the ceiling, went in to.
It does seem like it's the case of simply reconnecting the now loose wires back into the holes on the light casement's White connection box - would you agree? If yes, please can you guide me on the following:
1) Can any one of the Black wires go into hole 1 (Live)? Would I be correct in thinking it needs to go in the hole directly opposite the Brown (Live) wire from the light itself?
2) Can any one of the Black wires go into hole 6 (Neutral)? Would I be correct in thinking it needs to go in the hole directly opposite the Blue (Neutral) wire from the light itself?
3) Should the third Black wire (the wire that has electrical tape) be placed in any hole or is the electrical tape suffice and Safe?
3) Should the free-standing Earth wire end 'A' (refer to photo) be attached to the same end of the terminal box as the Earth wire from the ceiling goes into (as the electrician did), or should the free-standing earth wire go into the other end of the terminal box as I've seen online?
I think it's just the case of doing the above. My concern is if I place any of the wires in the wrong holes (possibly due to the Black wires being different, albeit the same colour) then it may start a fire or someone may get electrocuted if they touch the metal/chrome light casement. Is this concern valid?
Any guidance or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
