No earth wire in light fitting Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[diynogogirl]

Hi,
I've been reading the projects but cannot seem to find a solution to our problem. Myself and my partner moved into our house a few weeks ago, and it needs entirely redecorating. We're onto the bathroom now - the first room which needed a new light fixture. My partner turned off all the electrics, took the old light down, and has tried to install the new light fitting. However there is no earth wire. There is a red wire and a brown wire but that's all. After fitting these two wires in the same way it was originally connected to the old light - electrics on - flick the switch and the fuse blows. No lights in the whole house.
We can't see how the old light fitting used to work and we certainly don't know what to do now. Is our only option an electrician? And if yes, what do you all think will need doing?
Many thanks.

[sparx]

Hi. there should have been a lot more wires than you have, also reds & browns are from 2 different standards , old & new, so i think it might need some help, also if no earth, unless new fitting is dbl. insulated you will need to find an earth, so will require leckie, but both parts should not take him long, get a quote from a membet of a domestic installer scheme who is registered with the governments 'Trust Mark' scheme which gives a lot of guarentees/insurence ect.
regards SPARX

[diynogogirl]

Sorry there was a mistake on the first post.
There are two red wires and two black wires from the ceiling, still no earth that i can see though.
Many thanks for your reply Sparx.
Any new ideas?
TIA.

[sparx]

Hi agn,
Ok now you're talking, put 2 reds in spare connector block, not connected to fitting, put the other 2 wires one to each term of light fitting, most proper bathroom rated lights are class 2, and don't have an earth connection, if yours does then it may not be suitable for use unless an earth can be picked up from an adjacent circuit.
your original light would not have been connected red-to-red, blk-to-blk.
one red&blk pair is supply L+N in , the other pair are live to sw. & sw. live back to light (on a blk core which should be marked as L with red tape/sleeving)
regards SPARX

[diynogogirl]

Aha! Yes it's all sorted now after much connecting, disconnecting, offs and ons, all together as you stated.

Great forum, thanks very much.