Too Many Wires? Help!

[KellyAP]

Hi, I am looking for some advice regarding ceiling light in my kitchen. I bought a new light fitting and my husband went to fit it this evening but when he removed the old light there was 3 cables connected to the light. Each cable with N L E - obviously 9 wires in total but the new fitting only has the connector for 3 wires. So after fiddling for an hour and tripping the downstairs lights numerous times I am left with a light fitting dangerously hanging out of the ceiling that trips when we try and switch it off! Any advice will be very much appreciated,

 

[steptoe]

ooohhhh, too late,

as we always say, take pictures, and then take more,

what cables have you got,? is it 3 cables with a red black and green/yellow[maybe bare copper] in each?

 

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome to the forum, it is perfectly normal and standard to find three cables at a light fitting. this is due to the way lights are often wired. (loop at light).  When using loop at light there are four connections, A neutral, An Earth, A permanent live and a Switched live. Your three cables will be:  Supply from fusebox, Supply to next light & Switch cable. Both of the wires to the switch cable will be live. The switch has no neutral, so one cable may have what looks like a neutral colour but it is actually the switched live coming back from the switch.

You don't say what colours your wires are they could be Red or Brown for Live and Black or Blue for neutral

If one cable has Two reds or two Browns that will be the switch cable, But the switch cable may also be a Red & Black or a Brown & Blue. 

You will need:-

3x Live wires joined to each other but NOT to the lamp   may be red or brown

2x Neutral wires joined to each other and the lamp (N) maybe black or blue

1x Switched live joined only to the lamp (L) may be red, brown, black or blue

3x Earths joined to each other and the lamp.  bare wires with green/yellow sleeve.

(You could probably find that the connector that came with the light is too small to correctly terminate the wires.)

Doc H.

 

[KellyAP]

There are 3 red, 3 bare copper and 3 black (one has red tape around it). All wires fitted into the new light fitting but every time I switched the light off it would trip the electrics.

 

[Doc Hudson]

There are 3 red, 3 bare copper and 3 black (one has red tape around it). All wires fitted into the new light fitting but every time I switched the light off it would trip the electrics.

See my previous post, you do NOT just join all the wires together into the light. The three red must be in a connector on their own but NOT joined to any of the light wires, the wire with the red tape will be the live coming back from the switch.

To recap;

3x Red live wires joined to each other but NOT to the lamp.

2x Black neutral wires joined to each other and to the lamp blue neutral.

1x Black with red tape, switched live joined only to the lamp brown live.

3x Bare copper, earths joined to each other and the lamp green/yellow.

(your bare earth wires should have yellow & green sleeve put over them.

Doc H.

 

[ProDave]

You were lucky this time, the switch wire was marked with the red tape.

Next time please make a note of exactly how it was wired BEFORE removing the old fitting.

 

[KellyAP]

Thank you for your comments and advice. I will pass the info on to my husband.

 

[carl saupe]

Welcome to the forum, it is perfectly normal and standard to find three cables at a light fitting. this is due to the way lights are often wired. (loop at light). When using loop at light there are four connections, A neutral, An Earth, A permanent live and a Switched live. Your three cables will be: Supply from fusebox, Supply to next light & Switch cable. Both of the wires to the switch cable will be live. The switch has no neutral, so one cable may have what looks like a neutral colour but it is actually the switched live coming back from the switch.

You don't say what colours your wires are they could be Red or Brown for Live and Black or Blue for neutral

If one cable has Two reds or two Browns that will be the switch cable, But the switch cable may also be a Red & Black or a Brown & Blue.

You will need:-

3x Live wires joined to each other but NOT to the lamp may be red or brown

2x Neutral wires joined to each other and the lamp (N) maybe black or blue

1x Switched live joined only to the lamp (L) may be red, brown, black or blue

3x Earths joined to each other and the lamp. bare wires with green/yellow sleeve.

(You could probably find that the connector that came with the light is too small to correctly terminate the wires.)

Doc H.

what do you do if the block is too small ?

 

[roys]

Ten year old thread, fairly certain it will be sorted now.

 

[Andy™]

Ten year old thread, fairly certain it will be sorted now.

or maybe its the OP with a new account and its taken 10 years of trying to figure out how to get all the wires into a terminal that's too small and is now asking what to it?

 

[roys]

They have kept us in the dark all this time

 

[carl saupe]

They have kept us in the dark all this time

didnt see it was 10 years old have a similiar issue thought i would see what options i see a wago box but only fits 6 not 9

 

[Andy™]

They have kept us in the dark all this time

at least we have now been enlightened

Locked