help with wiring lights,,its driving me mad Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[danny boy]

I am refurbishing an old house, I went to replace the existing lights but there are three sets of wires, have tried nunerous combinations but have had no luck and dont have lights in 2 differnts rooms as a result, Can someone tell me how to wire these correctly, I have a little tester so know which one is the live wires, Can you please tell me where the blacks go, and the reds, i know they dont go altogether due to the loop, please help me before i go off my head :shock: :arrow:

[stevenc1603]

This has to be the most asked question on this forum :-)

Take all the reds and put them together in a connector block or into the loop section of a ceiling rose. These are not connected to the light directly.

You will have 3 blacks. 2 of these are neutral which should be put together and wired to the neutral wire of the light fitting.

The one remaining black should technically have a red sleeve on it but they either fall off or were never fitted. This is the switched live and gets connected to the live wire on the light fitting.

Sort your earths out together and your done.

If you can't identify the switched live you need to use a continuity tester to find it. Easiest way to do it is to turn off the power, separate out the 3 cables, make sure the wall switch is turned on then test across each red and black pair. The one with continuity is the switch cable. Mark the black with red tape or sleeve then connect everything back up as before.

[ericmark]

Each ceiling rose will normally have a supply cable a switch cable and except for last in run a cable supplying the next lamp. Assuming old colours all reds together (Line) and Earths together. Black normally with red sleeve to brown of light flex and remaining blacks together plus blue of light flex. There is a diagram in projects section