Black brown and grey wires

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

Hi, I'm replacing a light fitting in the bathroom but the wiring is confusing me, black brown and grey?

Is black neutral

[ElectriciansForums.net] Black brown and grey wires

and brown live in this case?

Thanks!

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

Are the greys actually connected together?

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

Yeah joined together.

Both the fan and the light stopped working but didn't trip the circuit breaker.

The individual fuse for the fan is intact but the fan isn't working and this is a replacement light fitting I'm about to fit

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

Can you show the connections in the new fitting.

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

I don't have it here but it's the standard plastic box with six screw fittings, one side already has the blue brown and earth connected

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

Would need to see it. Sounds like one of those tiny connector boxes and if so you are not going to connect all those wires within in which would probably required if it is a Class II fitting.

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

Yeah it's a connector box. I was going to connect the two black wires with the blue in the connector box and the two brown with the brown.

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

What about the earths and greys, if it is a Class II fitting that connector box is not suitable for all those wires.

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

I'd connect the two earths as well, the greys are connected together.

There has been a light fitted for years with this wiring, it just confused me with the brown black and grey, hadn't seen that before.

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

The way is was done before doesn't look safe anyway.

Fragglekfc · Sep 14, 2023

Thanks, I'll get an electrician out I think

littlespark · Sep 14, 2023

Fragglekfc said:
Thanks, I'll get an electrician out I think

Best thing you can do.

Its easy for someone to say, oh just connect this to that and whatever.... but without knowing how the other ends are connected, its guesswork.

When the colours changed from red/yellow/blue to brown/black/grey in 3 core and earth cable..... there wasnt a definitive choice of which colour would be neutral.

Some used black, as it was black that was used in old red and black twin cable..... others used grey, as the regs showed a diagram of red becoming brown, yellow becoming black and blue becoming grey when the colours changed..... and blue was used as a neutral in the past.

IMO, grey is used as neutral....

ipf · Sep 14, 2023

littlespark said:
Best thing you can do.

Its easy for someone to say, oh just connect this to that and whatever.... but without knowing how the other ends are connected, its guesswork.

When the colours changed from red/yellow/blue to brown/black/grey in 3 core and earth cable..... there wasnt a definitive choice of which colour would be neutral.

Some used black, as it was black that was used in old red and black twin cable..... others used grey, as the regs showed a diagram of red becoming brown, yellow becoming black and blue becoming grey when the colours changed..... and blue was used as a neutral in the past.

IMO, grey is used as neutral....

Yep. Black sleeved g/y as earth, grey sleeved blue.
Very rarely came across the old colours with the yellows and blues sleeved, though.
In fact I cannot remember ever coming across blues sleeved black for neutral in such situations.
Before harmonizing we sleeved red for 2 way lights, though.

westward10 · Sep 14, 2023

Still got a large sheath of black sleeving, people didn't get me asking them to sleeve the blue neutral.

ipf · Sep 14, 2023

westward10 said:
Still got a large sheath of black sleeving, people didn't get me asking them to sleeve the blue neutral.

Did you used to sleeve the brown and blue flex at lamp holders?

Black brown and grey wires

Fragglekfc

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westward10

Fragglekfc

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westward10

Fragglekfc

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westward10

Fragglekfc

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westward10

Fragglekfc

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westward10

Fragglekfc

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littlespark

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ipf

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westward10

ipf

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