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[Canary]

I am trying to put a new light in my sons bedroom but the instructions don't allow for so many wires. There was a ceiling rose and I am putting in a shuttle bar. There are 4 red (live) wires, 3 green/yellow (earth) wires, 3 black (neutral) wires and a black with a red sleeve (which I gather is a loop) Now do I put all the red in one all the earth in another and all the black in the third what about the loop? I have a loop termination block do I put that in there?

Please help.

[The Hammer]

[quote="Canary"]I am trying to put a new light in my sons bedroom but the instructions don't allow for so many wires. There was a ceiling rose and I am putting in a shuttle bar. There are 4 red (live) wires, 3 green/yellow (earth) wires, 3 black (neutral) wires and a black with a red sleeve (which I gather is a loop) Now do I put all the red in one all the earth in another and all the black in the third what about the loop? I have a loop termination block do I put that in there?

Please help.[/quote]

That sounds really scary, I wouldn't touch it if i were you.

Can't you just buy a plug in standing lamp?

[ericmark]

I will agree the lighting circuits project is not that good and does require some further explanation. But the pictures are good. Electrical, lighting circuits.
The first picture shows how 4 cables go to each rose in ideal fashion but colours may not be quite the same. So for Red you may get Brown and for Black you may get Blue for ease I will continue to call them Red and Black also Green is really with no insulation and green and yellow sleeve is put on the wire. It also shows two reds going to the switch in practice often it is red and black and red sleeving is put on the black wire. Unfortunately this often falls off or is missed. Also the wires to the switches would normally also have earths and the backing box for the switch would be earthed or the wire would be tucked out of the way with plastic boxes so it can be retrieved if metal switches are used. Moving to electrical, lights and switches the second picture of the ceiling rose plainly shows the sleeve (Or bit of insulation tape) used on the switch cable. It does use the old terminology and calls the 230 volt to earth cables LIVE these should be called LINE as neutral is also considered as live. There is also a adaptation of this where we have two cables going to next light and also where a second cable goes in the two light terminals and feeds a second lamp from first. Where two way switching is used or even three way switching it normally make no difference to the way in which the wires enter and leave the rose.
Where a house is originally wired for down lighters the second method shown in Electrical, lighting circuits is often used. Also electricians often take the live feeds to the switch as all junction boxes have to be accessible and once the flooring is fitted this can be a problem.
Although these are the normal ways to wire there are no hard and fast rules and electricians can and do change the method when circumstances dictate.
In your case I would expect all red wires will go to your loop block but that is assuming extra cable goes to another light in another room. If however the extra cable goes to another light in the same room one of those reds will go with black wire with red tape on it.
The black wire with red sleeve will go to the local lamp brown wire all other blacks will go together with the blue from local lamp.
All earths green/yellow go together.
Returning to reds only real way is to note where they go before you remove existing fitting