New Ceiling Light Fittings.....

[1rado]

Hi Guys,

Just some advice please for a newbie.

I have removed two sets of ceiling lights for my living room - quite easy really and left the wires inact on the ceiling. Even before I had removed the physical lights I took photos of the wiring so I would not get confused when putting up the new lights.

The wiring was like this:

Two black wires into a small electrical block - which was then connected to the blue neutral of the light fitting;

Single black wire with a red sleeve into the separate electrical block element - which is then connected to the live wire of the fitting.

The Earth wire of the fitting was not connected to any wire of the housing circuit - ie. redundant

The lights worked fine.

When I removed the lights and installed the new lights as above, they don't work. The lights are not turning on and the RCD is not tripping.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Andy™]

your missing 3x red & 3x earth

if the fixed wiring does not have an earth, you MUST NOT fit a light that needs it. the earth on the previous light was not 'redundant', and the light would never have been safe

and if the circuit doesnt have an earth, then probably best to get an electrician to check the rest of the wiring, its probably 50+ years old

 

[roys]

Post up your photos 1rado.

 

[1rado]

I think it will be better if I posted some photos - watch this space.

 

[ProDave]

My guess is the 3 missing reds are shoved up into the ceiling void and joined there in a choc block. and the act of disturbing the wiring has made one come out, or snap.

1rado, you didn't mention anything about isolating the circuit. You ARE isolating the lighting circuit, or better still the whole supply, before you started this aren't you? (please don't say you just turned the light switch off)

 

[batty]

You could be the star of a new TV show.

 

[1rado]

Hi Guys

Here are some pictures of when I was removing the lights (4 Picts) - as explained in my earlier post.

There is a grey wire not being used and I think this was due to the ceiling having three sets of lights initially - because there was a wall switch with three buttons on it and on both areas of the ceiling there is a spare grey wire which has been isolated and not used.

The circuit is isolated on the RCD and the wiring is circa late 1970's.

Cheers

ATTACH=CONFIG]3980[/ATTACH]

 

[1rado]

Hi

Here is a picture of when I have fitted a new light fitting. The Earth wire from the fitting is not used.

I have checked with the supplier - they can handle dimmer switches and are halogon lamps - g9 240/40w.

Cheers

 

[steptoe]

Id agree with Dave, you can see the looped lives in the void, I think you may have disturbed the connection and one may have come loose.

I think I can see a bare cpc [earth] in pic 2, you need to investigate this a bit more really.

pics are always good for this very reason,

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 10:36 ---------- Previous post was made at 10:34 ----------

Hi Here is a picture of when I have fitted a new light fitting. The Earth wire from the fitting is not used.

I have checked with the supplier - they can handle dimmer switches and are halogon lamps - g9 240/40w.

CheersView attachment 3984

well it should be, whoever told you that needs shot,!

you can see your earth in the ceiling - green sleeving.

 

[Manator]

I agree with the other posters, there are a group of wires stuffed into the void, one of these may now be loose or snapped. The light fitting you are connecting also needs an earth, isolate the supply by removing the fuse or turning off the breaker in your Fuse Board or Consumer Unit before pulling the wires from the void.

Check all connections and locate the earth wires from all the cables.

 

[m4tty]

I hope that even though you have turned circuits off, you have a way of testing that it is actually dead a cheapie multimeter is less than a tenner and your life ls worth more than that. Good luck its prob something simple like others have said most prob the feed into the three plate has come loose or snapped. That's what it normally is

 

[Manator]

I have just scoobed you Matty for that life saving tip at less than a tenner.

Well done mate. Very very good advice.

 

[1rado]

Hi Guys,

I have managed to take out the rest of the wires from both circuits in the ceiling and attached the photos. As you can see, the grey wires with the red tape and the two black wire that go into a single choc bloc were used initially.

The wires toward the right hand side were the ones tucked into the ceiling. Please not the one the the circuits has an additional wire.

Any thoughts?

Regards

 

[Zeespark]

Where in S Yorks are you Rado?

AndyGuinness

 

[gavindrummond]

I would re bell them all that way it takes the confusion out of the equation. Are you reinstalling a standard light there with flex now???

 

[m4tty]

+1 they need to be belled out to see what's what.

Have you had any luck yet mate ?

 

[batty]

He did it live he's now an exrado.