ceiling Light Fitting and What are all These Wires and Where do They go?
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brendanxx
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ceiling Light Fitting and What are all These Wires and Where do They go?

by brendanxx » Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:31 am

Hi,
I'm fitting a two wire ceiling light. When I take the old rose off there's black, red, brown and blue (which lead to the light). The light operates from a simple on/off switch. I need to take the existing base plate off to attach the new base plate, but have to idea what to do with the black and red wires! Is this a case for an electrician?
Many thanks
Brendan

ericmark
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Re: ceiling Light Fitting and What are all These Wires and Where do They go?

by ericmark » Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:07 am

In general in the UK we wire ceiling rose to ceiling rose with drops to the switch. So likely you need to connect red to brown, and black to one wire of lamps and blue to other wire.

So old red = new brown
old black = new blue

One cable is live feed, other cable goes to switch, in the ceiling rose likely red and brown are in centre and linked together.

You can get a special junction box with cable grips designed to take the feed cables and switch cables and come out with a single three core cable to feed the lamp.

An earth is required in the cable even if not used in the lamp.

Pre-1966 often there were no earths, there are ways around this problem.

brendanxx
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Re: ceiling Light Fitting and What are all These Wires and Where do They go?

by brendanxx » Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:04 am

Thanks Eric,
Extremely clear and helpful!
Best
Brendan

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