Two way light sockets/

[flanap]

The other evening my wife switched on the socket and the house fuse tripped.

I reset, but the downstairs hall light was no longer working. Changed bulbs and nothing.

Earlier today I undid the light connection and the "brown" wires had come adrift. When reseating these and restoring powere, the light switches "on", but will not switch off by the socket. It's therefore permanently on.

To explan further...

The downstairs light can be switched on/off by two two way sockets. The other side of one socket switches on an outside light and the other side of the remaining socket, swiches on an upstairs light.

The light wiring has three main leads coming into to it:

1 - Red and black and earth wires

2 - Red and black and earth wires

3 - Red and blue and yellow and earth wires

Each of the above goes into a junction type box, where the three red wires are together; the two black and blue are together; the yellow is by itself and the three earths are together.

From the other end of the junction box, the two wires to the light are connected as follows:

Brown to the junction containing red wires and blue to the junction containinig blue/black wires. It is also earthed.

The sockets do not look visably damaged.

I'm banging my head trying to resolve this issue. headbang

Is this wiring wrong, or has anyone got any iideas as to where I go from here????

Thanks

 

[sellers]

from how it sounds, when these brown wires came out of the connection in the light you have just connected them up wrong.

typically in your usual light fitting you will either have 1 Twin and earth cable consisting of brown-live, blue-neutral and the earth. Thats pretty straight forward to connect.

or you will either have 3 twin and earth cables at the light. 2 twin and earths will be your feeds, and the other for the switch. Of your feeds, both blues (neutrals) will go into the light fitting connection, the 2 browns on these go in their own connector block (or loop connection) along with the brown that goes to the switch. The remaining wire will usually be blue with brown sleaving on, or may have no sleaving. or may be brown, if its a T+E with 2 browns in. This goes into the light fittings live connection.

So in theory if you have 3 T+E's you should have 2 blues in neutral, 1 blue with brown sleave in live and 3 browns in loop or a seperate connector. Earths are pretty straigh forward but don't forget them!

 

[a1]

He has a mix of old colours and new, by the sounds of it, Sellers.

It does indeed sound as if Paul has connected the wiring, the round way around.

When you say "Earlier today I undid the light connection and the "brown" wires had come adrift" - You mean at the Light fitting on the ceiling - Yes?

 

[ianmacd]

Maybe a pic of it could help too identifying which wires were adrift and which were not.

Did you move any wires from previous locations when you fixed these adrift browns?

Ian.

 

[flanap]

I'm going to have to play around tomorrow as it's now too dark to do anything more today.

Admin - When I unscrewed the light from the ceilings, the brown wires attached to the light fitting (not the ceiling) had come adrift. I screwed these back into the junction box - brown wires from light to red wires from ceiling and blue wires from light to black and blue wires from ceiling.

It then became apparent that the screw in the junction box would not screw tight, so I swapped the common yellow wire, which appeared to have no output with the three red wires, which output to the brown.

Should the "common" yellow wire. (it's labelled common in the switch) have a wire going from it in the ceiling?

If so, should this be one of the live (red) wires, or a blue (or)) black netral wire?

Ianmacd - I'll try and draw a diagram and post later (assuming I can work out how to attach to a post!

Thanks all for your help so far.

 

[NozSpark]

It sounds like you had a terminal block which had OTHER connections in and then connected them all together????

 

[a1]

It sounds like you had a terminal block which had OTHER connections in and then connected them all together????

Me too Mate.

I await the diagram/Pics.

In fact, I am putting a page together to help Paul and others, on how to upload attachments etc.

 

[Tooold]

It sounds like the Three core (ryb) is taking a live, neutral + switch wire from light to switch for outside light. So the yellow would go to the light and the reds just in a connector. But a drawing would be nice.

 

[a1]

Here we go Paul...

http://gs174.photobucket.com/groups/w84/MFIRPF5LZP/?albumview=slideshow

If it goes too fast for you. Use the "Pause" button, bottom left of screen. (You will see it when you move your mouse around the screen).

 

[flanap]

I trust my diagram (attached) will assist, but from reading what Tooold says, it may be that the brown wires (lights) need to be attached to the "yellow" ceiling wire?

Paul.

 

[Apache]

I trust my diagram (attached) will assist, but from reading what Tooold says, it may be that the brown wires (lights) need to be attached to the "yellow" ceiling wire?Paul.

No attachment mate

 

[flanap]

Try again!

Lighting.zip

 

[Apache]

Try again!

good man

 

[Andy™]

where does the 3C&E go? looks like it may be to switch with neutral to feed outside light

your light is staying lit because you have put the brown in the perm live. it would appear as though the yellow is the switched live, and the brown should be connected to this.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Try again!

You link works flanap, a scan of an image could have been used or a photograph if that had been any easier as well?

Doc H.

 

[Lurch]

[quote name='Andy

 

[flanap]

Morning all and most of all.... Thank you to you all.

This morning I disconnected the light fitting from the "red" wires (which are as some of you have stated, permanent live wires) and then reconnected to the yellow terminal.

When refitted, everything is working perfectly, despite my wife complaining that they're now too bright. ROTFWL

I really appreciate all your help over the last 24 hours, which has saved me having to call out an expert, for what was (in the end) a simple solution.

I'm staying signed up as no doubt will need your services in the future. I've also joined your facebook forum and will recommend your web-site to anyone who's interested.

Once again.... Thank you and I hope you all have a great and successful ( especially if you're running your own businesses) 2010.

Kindest regards

Paul.

 

[a1]

I'm staying signed up as no doubt will need your services in the future. I've also joined your facebook forum and will recommend your web-site to anyone who's interested.

Thank You.

 

[Doc Hudson]

I really appreciate all your help over the last 24 hours, which has saved me having to call out an expert, for what was (in the end) a simple solution.

Paul.

As Admin just said, Thank you. I will also add comment to your observation above; As well as being polite and friendly forum, we do have a wide base of knowledge and expertise, with our members who can offer very good practical advice whilst keeping a consideration of any safety or legal issues that may need to be taken into account. As your posts have shown, there are many electrical problems that can be undertaken by a competent DIY, with just a little 'point you in the right direction' advice. Once again Welcome.

Doc H.

 

[a1]

As Admin just said, Thank you. I will also add comment to your observation above; As well as being polite and friendly forum, we do have a wide base of knowledge and expertise, with our members who can offer very good practical advice whilst keeping a consideration of any safety or legal issues that may need to be taken into account. As your posts have shown, there are many electrical problems that can be undertaken by a competent DIY, with just a little 'point you in the right direction' advice. Once again Welcome.Doc H.

And not just electrical. We have a Top Class VET. And when he can't make it - We have Apache. (Just pulling your chain, Apache, Mate).

We also have a Plumbing and Gas area too.

Speaking of which - I wonder how JL did on his 2391? :|