Lighting question

Wino · Post by **Wino** » Mon Jul 22, 2024 9:23 pm

Evening, I’m installing some spot lights on my landing replacing a single pendant light.

I’ve daisy chained the spots using 1.5mm twin and earth but when reaching the wires that fed the old ceiling rose there are two cables

One which goes to the switch (Red and earth) on the landing and the other which runs off across the loft (black and earth) I assume that goes to the light switch downstairs.

Neither the red or black wires had a sleeve on them when I disconnected them from the ceiling rose.

Is it as simple as E2E, red to L and black to N in the spotlight block?

Thanks in advance

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Mon Jul 22, 2024 9:33 pm

Believe it or not, there is no wiring colour code for lights in the UK (No really) it is up to who ever installs it as to what colour they use for what, as you say it should have coloured sleeving, but it doesn't, but then it might not need it, you really need to test it to establish what does what, and next time, take a picture first. Sorry it is not the straight forward answer you were hoping for.

Wino · Post by **Wino** » Tue Jul 23, 2024 3:30 pm

Ok so a little more investigating has been done

The red and earth wire runs to the landing light switch and in to the Common terminal at the bottom (see pic)

I take it that means that it’s the live wire from the circuit ?

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Tue Jul 23, 2024 4:44 pm

He's not me btw.

@op the 3 wires in com 1 and 2 are all "switched lives" what do you have at the other switch ?

EDIT to say there must be a junction box somewhere given the changes in wiring colours...

OnlyMe · Post by **OnlyMe** » Tue Jul 23, 2024 5:35 pm

Red is the live, black is the neutral and of course the green/yellows are the earth.

There is no hidden junction box and no requirement for oversleeving.

It's as easy as that

Wino · Post by **Wino** » Wed Jul 24, 2024 6:16 pm

Sorted thanks @OnlyMe

OnlyMe · Post by **OnlyMe** » Wed Jul 24, 2024 6:53 pm

Your lighting is wired on this principal.

: Singlecoreandearth.jpg (31.48 KiB) Viewed 400 times

The permanent lives and switched lives of the circuit use the single core and earth cable (type 6241Y).

This run starts from the MCB and loops between the lightswitches to provide a permanent live and earth to the lightswitches. Another length of 6241Y is then used from the lightswitch to the light fitting to provide a switched live and earth at the light fitting.

The neutral cable is again 6241Y (shown as 6181Y cable is this diagram so it does not show the earth that runs alongside your neutral) that runs from the CU neutral busbar and from light fitting to light fitting (there will only be one neutral at the end of the circuit).

The red and black that you see connected to L1 and L2 on the landing lightswitch is a twin and earth and is called the strapper and will go to the hallway switch, two way switching is not shown in the above diagram.

This is a very common type of wiring from the 70's and 80's especially in houses that used to belong to the council