I just bought a new house. One of the bedrooms had a strip light in it (it had been used as an office). I want to replace this with a ceiling rose.
I removed the strip light. The wiring to it was basically three wires, two of these wires were joined together.
Unfortunately, like a fool I've disconnected the wires, but I don't know which ones were the two which were joined together.
Is there an easy way for me to tell which are the two wires which should be joined together?
Thanks
Frank
If it was a fluorescent fitting, it should have three wires, line (red or brown) neutral (black or blue) and earth (green/yellow) None of these should be joined together.
It would help if you gave the colours of the wires, as what you're saying doesn't make sense.
I presume he meant three straps?
Heh! there's only three colours anyway red,black & green/yellow or brown,blue,green/yellow.
On Sat, 27 May 2006 11:28:22 GMT, Frank P had this to say:
Do you really mean three wires? Or three cables?
There were three wires which went into a wiring block. Two of these went into the same hole in the block and therefore were joined together.
Two wires from the flourescent light fitting went into the other side of the block.
There is no earth!
Each wire has a grey outer flex.There are three of these grey wires. One contains a red wire, the second a black wire, the third a black wire.
I've checked the other bedrooms' light fittings and these all have one black and two red wires - the two red ones being connected.
I hope this makes sense!
By the way, the house was built in 1963.
Cheers
Frank
IF as you say there were 3 wires, each with one coloured core and an outer covering of grey.
Then it is Black N in, Black N out and a red switch wire. Standard practice in the 60's. 2 blacks to neutral, red to live in. Small point; what are you going to do for an earth connection??????
Only my opinion, yahda yahda yahda blah blah disclaimer blah. IF you aint confident in the outcome then don't do it! Get a man in
I actually wired the two blacks to neutral and the red to live earlier, but when I flicked the switch it blew the light bulb and the fuse.
That's why I thought I must have mixed up the wires.
Do the light fittings need an earth? none of the other ceiling roses have them?
Sounds like your house wiring needs to come into the 21st century. :-)
By the sounds of it your wiring is of the single type flex and that is about the 70's mark wiring?
In the good old days some people had a large light fitting that was fed via two switch wires. The idea being that you could '...put Big light on...' or only half of it. It could be that you have a black and a red switch wire going to the fitting ? Strange as it is wired in singles and you would expect 2 reds, but if that was all they had in the van, then...who knows!Either get a man in or it's trial and error [not a good idea]
Only my opinion, yahda yahda yahda blah blah disclaimer blah. IF you
Your best bet is...
If you have a loft? go into the loft and trace where the wires are going to.
Then post your findings here as it sounds as though all the lights are independant of each other and make all their connections via the fuse box?
Have a look at the wiring at the switch that should show which colour they used for switching. They mayeven have switched using the neutral though. I cant see how putting 240v accross a light bulb in any combination could blow it, blow the fuse maybe but not the bulb??
Your lighting at least needs a re-wire.
Coincidence. You can't blow a mains bulb through wrong wiring.
I'd say you need to get a pro in.
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