Reinstaling a central pendant light fitting on ceiling Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[chrisrae1971]

Hi all, newbie to this site and wonder if anyone can shed some light to a problem.....

im attempting to re-fit a central light fitting to the ceiling in a room as it was removed by the old owner, easy enough but ive got the 2 cables in the ceiling void and unsure which wire is the mains supply and which is the switch cable......

any ideas of what to try, or just admit defeat and call a sparky????

[BLAKEY1963]

CHRISRAE1971
in doc projects section , changing a light fitting , gives
good advice.
with mains power off u could try to identify the switch wire if u have an item of electrical test equipment , continuity tester/omhmeter.
as u say u could get your electrician in

BLAKEY1963

[kbrownie]

If your still strugling!
can you describe cables and colours of them that are coming from ceiling void.

generally it is connect as follows; all the line conductors normally red but in recent years been chaged to brown, together either in terminal block or in the loop in terminals on the ceiling rose. The chances are there is two or three of these cables.
All earths to earth terminal. Again two or three of these. Green and Yellow sleeved sometimes left bare but should be sleeved
Now tricky bit
you will have one or two neutral wires and a switch wire left over these could well be all the same colour(black or blue if new) but one should have a red or brown tag/sleeve on to identify it as the switch wire.
The switch wire goes to Live terminal on your light fitting and the neutral go to the neutral side.
If you don't have a tag on switch wire and you don't have any means of testing cable you can swap the blacks/blues until your light functions correctly.
If you have a problem understand what I have posted or your wires are configurated different please reply don't start guessing!
KB