Neutrral and Live Together in Light?

[whazza22]

Looked at a light fitting that needs replacing and the Neutrral and Live were twisted together in the Light fitting.

Its an old house with old fitting but there has been no problem with the lights before.

Anyone seen anything this?

 

[AlanWirral]

Must just be two lives mate..or neutrals depending on which terminal there in. Not uncommon to find people cutting corners. How many other cables were in there BTW?

 

[whazza22]

That was the only cables in the fitting :S

 

[AlanWirral]

Oooooooh dear...got me then mate lol

 

[whazza22]

Lol gonna have fun when I got to do it

 

[Richard]

was the light working previosuly?

 

[AlanWirral]

I'd be doing a polarity test on the board before i did anything. Obviously it might not prove anything but it's not the first time i'd have been in an old house and the lighting was wired the wrong way around.

Sounds daft but did the light 'Work'? lol Some cables might have just popped out etc

 

[AlanWirral]

Bugger beat me to it Richard ; )

 

[whazza22]

Yeah everything was fine, he said its been there for 38 years, however the two cables twisted together were brown and blue but thats new colours :S

Old fuse board too, probably a junction box in loft

 

[mayfair]

So when you switch the light switch on does it go BANG?

 

[Richard]

Please could you clarify..how many cables in the fitting in total? from your post it seems at their was only two? and they were twisted together..was there earth present?

 

[rocker]

Wired 'in series'?

Are you sure it's not the switch wire?

 

[whazza22]

Havent tried it yet, had no tools on me at the time. Only went to have a quick look but couldnt see any other cables unless they gone above the ceiling when the light came out

 

[rocker]

So you had two wires twisted together, and no other wires at all in the fitting?

That working, unless you're using the mass of the house as some kind of ground, is a physical impossibility. You must be missing something somewhere.

I'd wager there are more wires in the ceiling, and you'll find the red wire is part of your loop, and the black wire is the permanent side of your switch wire.

 

[Richard]

^^ like he said.