Ceiling light only have one two core and earth cable

[garrincha]

Hello all

I am trying to replace a light and add a bathroom fan to the ceiling light. But when I removed the old light there is only one cable coming from the attic. I replaced the light in the same way that the older one was but I'm confused as there should be a switch wire going to the light switch. The light works fine when I pull the light switch cord. I replaced that cord and when I did it had a com cable and a l1 or l2 cable. So a total of two wires for that. The switch works. I looked in the attic for a junction box I thought maybe that's what it is i don't know. Anyways I want to add a fan to it I have installed the fan and I got a three core and earth cable which is have connected to a isolation switch located outside the bathroom near the ceiling but I now want to connect that to the light so that it comes on whenever I pull the light cord. I have Included a pic of what I saw when I removed the old light you can see its only 3 wires live neutral and earth. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

 

[westward10]

Can you show the pull cord switch wiring.

 

[Highresdis]

Must be a junction box somewhere. Should be able to find it by tracing from the switch or the light. Hopefully you'll find it has a permanent live, switch live and neutral, so that can be wired to the isolator. The manufacturers instructions may also demand a fuse spur, which can be installed before the light.

 

[westward10]

Must be a junction box somewhere. Should be able to find it by tracing from the switch or the light. Hopefully you'll find it has a permanent live, switch live and neutral, so that can be wired to the isolator. The manufacturers instructions may also demand a fuse spur, which can be installed before the light.

Not necessarily which is why I asked to see the pull switch wiring as his explanation is not clear.

 

[Pete999]

Hello all

I am trying to replace a light and add a bathroom fan to the ceiling light. But when I removed the old light there is only one cable coming from the attic. I replaced the light in the same way that the older one was but I'm confused as there should be a switch wire going to the light switch. The light works fine when I pull the light switch cord. I replaced that cord and when I did it had a com cable and a l1 or l2 cable. So a total of two wires for that. The switch works. I looked in the attic for a junction box I thought maybe that's what it is i don't know. Anyways I want to add a fan to it I have installed the fan and I got a three core and earth cable which is have connected to a isolation switch located outside the bathroom near the ceiling but I now want to connect that to the light so that it comes on whenever I pull the light cord. I have Included a pic of what I saw when I removed the old light you can see its only 3 wires live neutral and earth. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

View attachment 40503

Cable has been getting a bit warm in that fitting Mate.

 

[garrincha]

Cable has been getting a bit warm in that fitting Mate.

Yes I thought that the colour was off. It may be because that older light was one of those lights with a heating sort of thing on it (which I haven' seen before) so it was like a heater light. The bathroom didn't have a heater in it but I have since fitted a towel radiator in.

 

[garrincha]

Can you show the pull cord switch wiring.

OK I'll get a pic tomorrow when in back there. It was just 2 red wires in the pull cord. I put a piece of brown tape on the wire that went into the 'com' hole...

 

[garrincha]

Must be a junction box somewhere. Should be able to find it by tracing from the switch or the light. Hopefully you'll find it has a permanent live, switch live and neutral, so that can be wired to the isolator. The manufacturers instructions may also demand a fuse spur, which can be installed before the light.

Thank you for the reply. Yes I was thinking that there must be a junction box somewhere. I was thinking there must be something that pull cord and the light is joined to. Then I can fit in that stupid fan. But I thought I'd try it before I get an electrician in! I'll have a look again in the attic

 

[Des 56]

If you can get to the light and the pull cord and don't find a JB between them there resides any connections you desire

 

[Pete999]

Yes I thought that the colour was off. It may be because that older light was one of those lights with a heating sort of thing on it (which I haven' seen before) so it was like a heater light. The bathroom didn't have a heater in it but I have since fitted a towel radiator in.

It's probably down to the person that installed the fitting, left the heat sleeving off most fittings of this type are supplied with a few inches of heat resistant sleeving.

 

[littlespark]

There must be a joint box, but don't go looking for it above the bathroom... Its probably nice and easy to access at the attic hatch, a rectangular grey box with a number of twin cables going into it. (could be buried under glass wool)
One cable for each switch, and one cable to each light upstairs, and one from the distribution board to supply it all.
With a bit of luck, the cables might still be marked so you know which are the ones heading to the bathroom.

 

[littlespark]

whats optimistic? The cables being marked or actually finding the JB under the itchy stuff?

 

[Judd]

My money's on a taped up joint in connector block shoved up in the ceiling behind the light fitting,

 

[garrincha]

Hello guys so I have since thrown away all of the attic insulation because the previous owners had a rat problem (according to council pest control two years ago) the owners left a mess up there so I spent all day decontaminating the attic and throwing out the insulation that was covered in rubbish. Then I found a junction box under the insulation but it's not going to the bathroom all the wires seem to be going into one place in between one of the bedroom walls and the boiler cupboard. I'll take some pics and send them.

 

[garrincha]

If you can get to the light and the pull cord and don't find a JB between them there resides any connections you desire

That sounds interesting. Cos I found the light switch wire and the wire that goes to the light. So I have those two wires. If there a way to do something with these two wires to Add in the fan? And also spot lights. I've had an electrician come and tell me it's fine if I do all the work he will check it after no charge, it would be included in the £350 he's charging me for replacing the circuit board because the old circuit board needs replacing.