Domestic lighting issue?

[macka09]

Hi guys, I'm not an electrician but after some advice please. I've replaced a few light fittings today but have hit a stumbling block. The kitchen lights existing wiring has 3 main wires going to it, but one of the black wires has been snipped. So I'm left with 3 red, 3 earth and 2 black. Is there anything I could do to rectify?

 

[Englishman]

I could take a look. I have asked a sparky to come and look at it. I tend not to do much with electrics apart from the very basics. I assume you have noticed the black wire (neutral) is missing? Why would they do that? As previously mentioned the old strip light worked before!

The switch line only needs a live connection as the neutral is already at the light fitting, most people is the neutral conductor of a piece of twin and earth as the switch line (you don't need a neutral at the switch) and the live as a permanent but some people do things other ways, I can't understand why someone would wire up a light like yours but I've seen it done a few times

 

[Englishman]

So am I right in thinking, if the neutral is cut out at the switch, all the red lives got to live at the new fitting. Earth to earth and the existing 2 blacks to neutral ??

The two blacks go to neural, the warts to earth and the single live (with the neutral cut out) to the live terminal. The other two lives need to be kept together, either in a fourth port on the light (loop, some have them) or a connector block/wago. If you wire them all into the live, the light will never go off.

 

[telectrix]

an educated gues would be the 2 reds together are Lin and Lout. these would be blocked together with nothing else connected to them. then the red on it's own is L to the light. the 2 blacks are N to the light. the earths obviously all connected to each other anf to the E terminal of the light.

 

[macka09]

That's exactly how I wired it originally and it caused the breaker to go I left the 2 lives in a block together and taped it. Took the single live to live on the fitting and the 2 blacks to neutral?

 

[Englishman]

Look at the switch and tell us if there are two red cables or one red and one black.

 

[telectrix]

then you'll need an electrician to test and ID the cables in order to wire it up correctly. it's only an hour's work. whereabouts are you. one of us may be close.

 

[macka09]

Ok I'm not at the house at the moment but I can post back shortly.
I'm assuming if there's a double red then that's the issue.

 

[macka09]

I have got a sparky coming tomorrow. I'm not to far from Stratford.

 

[Englishman]

I have got a sparky coming tomorrow. I'm not to far from Stratford.

It will take him minutes mate.

 

[macka09]

Ok tganks

 

[Guest77]

Ok thanks. It's isolated. I removed the old light weeks ago but didn't notice the wire was cut as I only only disconnected via the block.

so it is padlocked off?

 

[macka09]

No not padlocked

 

[Guest77]

Okay so switched off then or disconnected cabling from the circuit?

 

[macka09]

That's what's there guys.

 

[telectrix]

the cable in the common is probably the switched L to the light, but guessing is not the solution. your electrician will suss it out in a few minutes.