DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all

I am trying to simply change a bathroom light fitting. When I removed the old fitting I was very surprised to see 12 wires - 5 Live, 3 Neutral and 4 Earth. Can all the corresponding wires ie all the live, all the neutral and all the earth be wired together?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi cronky
It seems you do have a problem normally there are only 9 wires at a light fitting a permanent live and neutral in and a live and neutral out and your switch wires. Depending on the age of the installation the switch wires should be twin red for older than 3 years or twin brown for less than 3 years. so not all lives and all neutrals are connected together. iIf the fitting is a baton holder then 4 lives go in the loop connections thats the 3 connections in the centre of the baton holder,then 1 of the switch lives go in with the brown wire to the lamp and allthe neutrals go in with the blue wire to the lamp. and all the earths connect together.
all the best
Topspark

This does not seem wrong what help do you need?
One feed cable. = 1line 1 neutral 1 earth
Two cables to other lights. 2 line 2 neutral 2 earth
One switch cable. 2 line 2 earth
So on switch cable one line goes to light and one to other line cables. Sometimes you have a neutral colour used as line with sleeve for switch and sometimes two line colours with special cable so with switch cable it is not OK to put like colours together.
You should have 4 connections.
Earth All four earths together
Neutral all neutrals together but not switch cable
Loop all feeds together but not return from switch
Switch this connects to no other cable except local lamp
So look at local lamp which will be connected to switch and neutral and identify the switch cable and make sure that cable does not get mixed up with others.
Remember 4 connections not three.
Eric