Old Wiring - Replacing Ceiling Light

[SimonB]

Hi,
I am trying to replace an old ceiling light with a new fitting, however the wiring does not seem to add up to me. Can someone help me please?!
There are 2 light switches connected to the light, with 4 cables coming out from the ceiling. 2 cables have live, earth and neutral, and 2 just have live and earth. The 2 neutral wires are connected to the same connector block, which was connected to the old light fitting. A live wire from one of the cables with just a live and an earth wire is connected to 2nd connector block, which was connected to the old light fitting too. The 4 earth wires are all going into a connector block (2 in each, with a loop), and the remaining 3 live wires are all going into a 4th connector block (2 in one, 1 in the other, with a loop).
It seems straightforward to reconnect the new live and neutral wires where I took the old ones out from, but how do I connect the earth?
Thanks,
SimonB

 

[trev]

Dave, obviously I agree with you but I was trying to get over that the OP is a layman and telling him to put all the reds together then all the blacks is going to set up a short circuit and if he were to follow those instructions stage by stage he's going to get confused. Identifying which one is the feed to and from the switch is going to be difficult for the OP as he'll most likely not have access to any sort of test gear.
NB OP none of the foregoing is a dig at you.

 

[davethsparky]

I think in this one isolated instance you'd get a situation where the light stays on permanently if all reds and all blacks are joined, the single for the switched L is red too so the only blacks present are N's. But yes in 99.99999% of domestic lights that would result in the normal loud bang.

Out of interest has anyone else come across the one where a diy'er half understood the 3 plate system and manage to get the switch and lamp in series with the ongoing feed? Was funny to see most of the upstairs lights go dim when you turn the landing light on!

 

[Guitarist]

Had a job at the beginning of the year where an old boy had connected his outside lights up the wrong way, resulting in his dining room lights glowing dimly when he switched the outside on.

- - - Updated - - -

It's like the old rule isn't it, £X to get it done, £XX if you want to watch £--- if you've had a go yourself.

I let people watch for free trev

 

[i=p/u]

Which is technically a short circuit.... Not the normal one

 

[davethsparky]

Not technically a short, as a short circuit is one where one live conductor is effectively joined to another without a load connected in between ie: the circuit is taking the shorter path than it should.


In this case the load has ended up in series with another load making, you could almost say it is a long circuit?

 

[snowhead]

Not technically a short, as a short circuit is one where one live conductor is effectively joined to another without a load connected in between ie: the circuit is taking the shorter path than it should.


In this case the load has ended up in series with another load making, you could almost say it is a long circuit?

Can't we just compromise and call it a medium circuit??