DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Im replacing a standard rose pendant with a 3 light plate spotlight.
I have 7 wires...
3 red
3 black and
1 earth wire.

Am i correct in bunching all the red wires into one choclate block to maintain the supply to to the ring main?
Put one black to the live?
Put two blacks to the neutral?

If so how do I distinguish which of the 3 blacks is my live, as when I have tested them, none of them appear to be live when I do this?

This is a metal fitting. If so i presume this does it have to earthed?

Thanks for any help!!

[quote="mk84"]Im replacing a standard rose pendant with a 3 light plate spotlight.
I have 7 wires...
3 red
3 black and
1 earth wire.

Am i correct in bunching all the red wires into one choclate block to maintain the supply to to the ring main?
Put one black to the live?
Put two blacks to the neutral?

If so how do I distinguish which of the 3 blacks is my live, as when I have tested them, none of them appear to be live when I do this?

This is a metal fitting. If so i presume this does it have to earthed?

Thanks for any help!![/quote]



By the sounds of it you have got single cables run in metal earthed conduit and from what you have stated in the text then I would say your on the right line. Isolate the supply to the lighting circuit .. Drop the light switch and use a continuity tester to find which if the [b]blacks[/b] comes directly from the light switch then sleeve the conductors to identify them in the future and make sure the fitting is earthed aswell as the earthing terminal in the new light fitting.. if any of this makes [b]no sense[/b] then call a qualified electrician.

I am confused as to why only one earth maybe three wound together with one sleeve on them all! But you seem to be on right track. Black will only be live when lights switched on and all loop wires (the reds) are connected together. This is in new colours http://www.ericpalmer.fsnet.co.uk/Images5/LIGHTS.JPG but should help you understand what you are doing. Red = Brown and Black = blue.
Eric

Thanks to you both.
All sorted now :D