Maintained Emergency light with an extra cable - what does it do?

thejonesy · Apr 23, 2012

I was asked to changed a light bulb today on a maintained emergency light, changed the bulb and nothing.

I had a check of the connections whilst I was there and it was wired in 3 core old colours, there was 3 lives in a chock block. Two neutrals going into the inbuilt connector in the light, a blue cable (sleeved up as a switch live) 3 earths, and then 3 yellow cables all with a tiny bit of red sleeving on them going to a connector on the light.

whats the yellow cable with the red sleeving on for?

cheers Jonesy

RogertheBodger · Apr 24, 2012

Jonesy - where did you get the information that it's a maintained fitting? it sounds like it's non maintained to me.

Lets presume that the connections are correct, try the key switch and it should illuminate, if it doesn't try your new lamp.

If you can't operate the key switch you can switch of the lighting circuit mcb for that room - same thing, cutting the supply to the fitting.

If you have no permanent supply to the fitting the problem could also be that the last tester left the key switch in the off position and the battery in the fitting has gone flat, in this case when you operate the key switch you will be restoring power, and you will have to wait until the battery recharges before you can check if the lamp is good or not, Em Ltg fittings normally have a tell tale led to tell you if the power is there.