wiring a new light fitting

david t · Post by **david t** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:53 pm

Hi,
I have bought a light fitting & just want to make certain I will be wiring it correctly. The new fitting has a block connector with 6 connectors. The wiring on the new light fitting is Blue,Brown & Green / Yellow. there is another Green / Yellow earth wire attached to the bracket which attaches to the ceiling joist.From the ceiling rose are 2 sets of wires, each has a red, black & a bare wire which I assume is earth. 1 Wire I presume feeds the light switch & the other I think goes to the light fitting in the extension.This is where I need confirmation that what I do is correct. I assume that I tighten the 2 red wires into the connector block & in the opposite block I tighten the brown wire. In the next block I put the 2 black wires & in the opposite block I put the blue wire. In the last block I put the 2 bare wires & opposite I put the 2 Green / Yellow earth wires. Is this correct?

Thanks,

David T

markysparky · Post by **markysparky** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:41 pm

No it isn't correct.

You are about to do a classic which everybody tends to do.

One of the cables is a Perm Live-Earth-Neutral

The other cable goes to the light switch and is a Perm Live-Earth-Switch wire.
And by joining both blacks together you are effectively joining neutral and Switched live together. Meaning your fuse will blow when you turn on the light.

The way to do it is both reds together in a remote connector (not connected into the light fitting wiring)

The black neutral into the same terminal as the blue wires.
The black switch wire into the terminal where the brown wires are. (This should have a bit of red insulating tape on to identify that it is a live switch wire)

Are you gonna be able identify which cable is which or do you know how?

tim'll fix it · Post by **tim'll fix it** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:21 pm

sockets are easy, it is the lights that always confuse them

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:04 pm

I always join the wires exactly as they are, just substitute the blue and brown that runs to the original pendant for the wires to the new fitting.

m3 fitter · Post by **m3 fitter** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:03 am

yeah, but Hitch, you don't mind a spark or two do you

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:23 am

I do the same as hitch, then its clear which one is which....

I did get asked to sort out someone who had removed the whole fittiing, connected all the blacks together, and all the reds together...

POP went the fuse... makes it harder having to idenify which cable is which!