4 wires coming from ceiling rose.
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Richard P Godley
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4 wires coming from ceiling rose.

by Richard P Godley » Sat Jun 23, 2007 6:21 pm

HELP!!

I am replacing a ceiling rose which has 4 wires coming from the ceiling. There is a single switch in the hall and one on the landing. Therefore I have 4 reds, 4 blacks and 4 earths. I did make a drawing before I disconnected it but must have mis ID'd a wire when attempting reconnection, so blew the RCD fuse.

I have identified the feed wire, (which I assume is the only red one displaying live when all wires are splayed and disconnected) and have managed to connect all wires so that I can switch the upstairs light on and off from both switches but the lamp downstairs remains on all the time despite trying the switches on/off up and down. I'm sure I'm connecting the lamp to the right sides of the rose. It is driving me insane as I find most other combinations blow the RCD fuse.

The Black (live) was not previously identified. Before I took it down the configuration in the rose was - B R / R R R / B B B . All the earths to the E connection.

Please can somebody help as it isn't my house!

BLAKEY1963
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Re: 4 wires coming from ceiling rose.

by BLAKEY1963 » Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:08 pm

[quote="Richard P Godley"]HELP!!

I am replacing a ceiling rose which has 4 wires coming from the ceiling. There is a single switch in the hall and one on the landing. Therefore I have 4 reds, 4 blacks and 4 earths. I did make a drawing before I disconnected it but must have mis ID'd a wire when attempting reconnection, so blew the RCD fuse.

I have identified the feed wire, (which I assume is the only red one displaying live when all wires are splayed and disconnected) and have managed to connect all wires so that I can switch the upstairs light on and off from both switches but the lamp downstairs remains on all the time despite trying the switches on/off up and down. I'm sure I'm connecting the lamp to the right sides of the rose. It is driving me insane as I find most other combinations blow the RCD fuse.

The Black (live) was not previously identified. Before I took it down the configuration in the rose was - B R / R R R / B B B . All the earths to the E connection.

Please can somebody help as it isn't my house![/quote]

RICHARD P GODLEY
THIS CAN BE STRAIGHT FORWARD OR NOT !
REALLY DEPENDS ON THE RED AND BLACK GOING TO THE SWITCH AND CONNECTED WITH RED INTO THE MIDDLE TERM WITH OTHER 3 REDS AND THEN BLACK TAGGED WITH A RED SLEEVE GOING TO SWITCHWIRE SIDE OF THE LAMP.
THINK YOU NEED AN ELECTRICIAN TO IDENTIFY CABLES WITH APPROPIATE TEST GEAR AND CHECK CONNECTIONS
BLAKEY1963

sparx
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by sparx » Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:56 pm

HI If I understand set up then both lights should work together on 2 way switching?
If so then you have the live to downstairs light in with the looped red lives when it should be with the red that goes to the flex of the upstairs light.
From your list it shows sw.blk +R then 3 R then 3 B, I think you now have sw.B, then 4 R, then 3B, look carefully at rose linked connections , regards SPARX

Richard P Godley
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Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 6:02 pm

4 wires to ceiling rose

by Richard P Godley » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:27 pm

[quote="sparx"]HI If I understand set up then both lights should work together on 2 way switching?
If so then you have the live to downstairs light in with the looped red lives when it should be with the red that goes to the flex of the upstairs light.
From your list it shows sw.blk +R then 3 R then 3 B, I think you now have sw.B, then 4 R, then 3B, look carefully at rose linked connections , regards SPARX[/quote]

Thanks Sparx, I know it is difficult from a distance but definitely the configuration I had (BR / RRR/ BBB) resulted in the upstairs light being capable of being switched on/off from either location, and the downstairs (when connected) staying on all the time despite any switch combinations. (I have not touched any other rose or switch!) The set up was that each light could be switched off from either upstairs or down.

Yes, both lights were capable of being s/w off & on from either position originally, before I started tampering! I think that my problem is HOW to identify the live (but Black) previously unmarked cable from the other 3 black ones, and how to identify which R one is the live to downstairs light. All I can identify at the mo is the live feed wire from the fuse box, which leaves me with 3 other unidentifiable R wires.

PS - Plain language would be appreciated!!

Rgds, Richard

sparx
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by sparx » Mon Jun 25, 2007 12:21 pm

Hi Richard, Try this; take out reds from centre set of connections one at a time until downstairs light goes off, that red goes in with the R/B sw. lives, so it can only be on when upstairs one is! regards SPARX

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