Light Wiring

fdunne · Post by **fdunne** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:09 am

Morning All,

I am new to Forum and this is my 1st Post, so apologies for the Dumbness lol

We have bought some new Light Fittings and I am looking into fitting them myself,

Now, I opened the Light and the fitting at the Top, had three wires going into the Junction box which was fine as I have read there should be a Green/Yellow one, blue one and a Black or Brown one I think

However, having looked at the existing Light Fitting, this is true, as I can see several Wires, but could see the Brown and Blue one travelling down into the Light Fitting and also the Green/Yellow one.

I presume the other Wires are for the Previous and next Light Fitting etc

So, I go back to my New Light Fitting and open the Junction Box, to see the three wires in the Junction Box, Green/Yellow in the middle and either side is a Clear Plastic casing with a Wire Inside.

Now, this is where I am stuck, as Expected to see one Blue and one Brown Wire, but checking all on the Casing and wires, there is no indication as to which is which

So, I am wondering iof anyone can help on this

I have attached some diagram of old Light Fitting and New one, any help greatly appreciated

Wiring Socket

Wiring Socket 2

New Copper Wire on New Light Fitting -Not sure what this is, presume some sore of Earth and need to be left

New Junction Box on Light Fitting

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:28 pm

Hi and welcome.

This should answer your question-

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/diy/e ... itting.htm

But your wires are the new harmonised colours and so just replace the black with blue and the red with brown

Anything you do not understand please post back.

gasspark · Post by **gasspark** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:49 pm

A light fitting is not polarity sensitive so the flex to lamp is immaterial clear to either Black/blue other clear to red/brown, yellow and green goes with the other yellow and greens.

The yellow and green cable, (cpc or earth), is for the safety of others thus is the most important.

fdunne · Post by **fdunne** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:55 am

Cheers chaps,

It's all coming a bit clearer now.

I also had a look at the Junction box last night and Instructions and on the Junction bow, each clear cable is labelled L and N, and in the Instructions tells you what side to connect the Live and Nuetral one, so pretty straight forward.

Just a few more Questions, I am going to replace the Ceiling Rose as, the one we bought comes with its own Ceiling Fitting.

So, after reading the Info above, this is how I am going to wire it up, any mistakes I am making, please let me know so, I don't get Frazzled LOL

Firstly, I have been told to either just Switch the Light off at Wall Socket which should be fine, and others have said to be safe, actually switch the whole Electrics off in Apartment from the Main box. Which is best?

Secondly, I will obviously undo all the screws and so forth in order to get the old Ceiling Rose off and then I will drill/Screw the new Ceiling Rose on

Fourthly, I will attach all the cables up, as in Earth Cable from Ceiling into the middle Earth Connection on Junction box for Light, and then Live and Nuetral Either Side according to Instructions.

Then lastly, just tidy everything up, and fasten the Light Fitting onto Ceiling to cover up wires and then switch on and hopefully theres Light icon_smile.gif

However, a few questions I have are, Firstly, if you look at the old Ceiling Rose, it may be me being stupid but the Earth Wire, just looks like it has come from Ceiling and into the Screw Holder and fastened, so not actually attached to Anything. Is this the case or am i missing something, as if it is like this for Existing light, why is it that I have to connect this to Junction box for new Light?

Secondly, there is in one of the Diagrams which has a copper wire just fastened into screw, so,do I leave this fastened in there when tightened everything up, or does this go somewhere else, I presumed it was a kind of earth wire as the Light Fitting is Metal?

Don't think I have missed anything, any any help on this would be great, planning on Fitting one Tonight before Girlfriend comes home as a Surprise, so I need to get it right, otherwise the surprise will be her coming in to find her Boyfriend half cooked LOL

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:16 am

I'm in a serious rush right now so will answer the other questions later, unless someone elses does first

Who ever told you that you can just switch off the light at the light switch and replace the light fitting needs serious mental help- if you do this you will probably be electrocuted.

YOU MUST ISOLATE THE ELECTRICITY FIRST BY REMOVING THE FUSE TO THE CIRCUIT OR BY SWITCHING OFF THE MAIN SWITCH AT THE CONSUMER UNIT.

fdunne · Post by **fdunne** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:11 am

Cheers mate, I think thats seems the best way

Ill await the rest of your ansswers later if no one else gets back to me

Cheers

Rich-Ando · Post by **Rich-Ando** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:50 am

fdunne wrote: Firstly, I have been told to either just Switch the Light off at Wall Socket which should be fine, and others have said to be safe, actually switch the whole Electrics off in Apartment from the Main box. Which is best?

like UHM just said, unless you want to look like my avatar, you MUST turn the lighting breaker off. somebody telling you to just turn the switch off was trying to kill you.

fdunne wrote: Firstly, if you look at the old Ceiling Rose, it may be me being stupid but the Earth Wire, just looks like it has come from Ceiling and into the Screw Holder and fastened, so not actually attached to Anything. Is this the case or am i missing something, as if it is like this for Existing light, why is it that I have to connect this to Junction box for new Light?

if you do not connect them, you will break the line of earth to all the other lights and switches. if the ceiling rose is plastic, it doesn't require earthing but each cable "looped" out requires the earth on the cable "looped" in on the system.

fdunne wrote: Secondly, there is in one of the Diagrams which has a copper wire just fastened into screw, so,do I leave this fastened in there when tightened everything up, or does this go somewhere else, I presumed it was a kind of earth wire as the Light Fitting is Metal?

you connect the other end of it to the terminal with all those other earths in it. you are correct in that it is the earth for the metal part of the fitting.

just for fun, i noticed you staged your initial questions in order, out of curiosity, what happened to "thirdly" ?

ok, im off back to work now. i hope that answered it for you cos i won't be here until tonight again now.

gasspark · Post by **gasspark** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:59 am

Rich-Ando wrote:like UHM just said, unless you want to look like my avatar,

Thirdly: if I do all work with power still on will I get my pilots or astronourts licence.

fdunne · Post by **fdunne** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:45 am

Right Lads

Got home yesterday and had a bit of time, so thought Id check it out

Switched mains off, opened up casing on Ceiling Rose, and undid the Light Wires to have a look

Now my actual ceiling rose has not got a box in it to house all the seperate cables, so was thinking of looking at using the existing Junction

Now, my new Ceiling rose will fit over the old one quite easily and the Screw Holes are literally in the exact same place, so don't need to drill new ones.

However, think my only difficulty is going to be cutting the plastic casing on New Light Cable to make then Long enough which is no problem.

Just one Question about the Earth, I check both my Lights in the Lounge and one, as you can see above, seems to have an Earth coming from Ceiling and into and Screw Fitting to hold it. However the other one, which is the one we are putting this lighting on, seems to have 2 seperate earth cables coming from what looks the ceiling into the Screw Fitting either side.

Now, all the cabling i am pretty confident of what to do, apart from the earth, Just to clarify, regardless of whether its like the fitting above, or the other one i explained with 2 Earths, am I just taking the Earth from the New Light Fitting and placing this inside the Screw Fitting where the Ceiling Earths are, and if i do this, it means the copper bits of cables at end are touching, is this okay?

Hope that makes sense