Ceiling light - Odd wire

I have looked at some of the threads in here and some come close but just not all the way

I have a landing ceiling light with another switch downstairs. I recently bought a new light from IKEA. I have wired it up and it works. Unfortunatley my bedroom and the box bedroom does not.

Coming out of the ceiling are three grey cables each with a Red, Black and Earth. All three earths are sleeved together. There is also One wire heavily sleeved in Red.

I have two blacks going to neutral One black and the single heavy red going to live and the three reds together

Why are my other two bedroom lights not working?

Reply to
garyewing
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What you have is a line and neutral in, line and neutral out to the next fitting, and switch pair. (the two way switch wiring will be from the switch, so needn't concern here)

Ignoring the earths which should simply be connected together and to any fitting that needs one, you should have:-

Three reds connected together but not to the fitting.

Two blacks connected together and to the neutral of the fitting.

One black - sleeved red - which is the switch return, and connected only to the live on the fitting.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

See the explanation and diagram of "loop-in" wiring for a ceiling rose half-way down this page:

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should have no black wires connected to anything live, switched or otherwise. The switched live wire is nearly always sleeved in red, as you have found, to avoid the appearance of being neutral. It sounds like you have moved the neutral for your other lights onto a live connection and there is no circuit any more.

Note on the diagram that there is no logical difference between the supply "in" and the supply "out", which are simply connected together. The only wire you need to positively identify and wire differently is the switch wire, which is hopefully the one you have found to be sleeved.

Reply to
lairdy

What I have noticed this morning is that when the light is switched off the bedroom lights do work.

Thanks for your help. I will adjust the wiring this afternoon

Reply to
garyewing

What I have noticed this morning is that when the light is switched off the bedroom lights do work.

Thanks for your help. I will adjust the wiring this afternoon

Reply to
garyewing

Working fine now

Thanks to both

Reply to
garyewing

This is topical because we've just taken down the light fitting in our sitting room, which we're painting and I wanted the ceiling to be done properly.

It hasn't been moved since it was put there, at least thirty years ago, and I'm glad I insisted on taking it down. The flex is fabric covered, the connections to the bulb holders (four) were crumbling. Wire was twisted for joining, with those porcelain caps.

Ceiling lights, unless they go wrong or are replaced fairly frequently, tend to be ignored. I think we'll be looking at the rest of the house after this.

Mary

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Reply to
Mary Fisher

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 14:47:00 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher" wrote this:-

Hopefully it is just the lighting circuit(s) that are wired in this sort of rubber insulation, or even better just the drops.

It should be replaced as a priority, though if left undisturbed it may last for a while longer.

Reply to
David Hansen

It's not rubber, the wires are insulated with plastic but the flex is covered with fabric.

It IS being re-wired. The supply to it was replaced, along with the the rest of the house rewiring, some years ago. That room is the only one which has been undisturbed in those years.

My point was about fixed appliances with original wiring. how many of us check them?

Mary

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Reply to
Mary Fisher

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 19:53:37 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher" wrote this:-

Strange, I can't recall coming across such flex.

Not enough.

Reply to
David Hansen

You're not old enough :-)

I wonder how often we should check them? I suppose it would be different for different appliances or when the wiring was installed - it's a minefield!

Mary

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Reply to
Mary Fisher

It's still available from the likes of Christopher Wray for period table lamps, etc. Usually with gold or purple fabric covering. Was commonly used for pendant cable 40years plus ago, so doesn't really owe you anything. However, if the permanent wiring has been changed it should have been also.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:26:52 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher" wrote this:-

Every ten years is generally fine for fixed wiring. However, to make that sort of judgement people need the proper training.

Reply to
David Hansen

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