Changing a ceiling light, but I have 3 wires for 2 holes!!!! Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[edtillotson]

Hi, I really need help for something I'm sure is simple to solve. The old celing unit I have has 3 wires feeding into it, however the new light and accompanying fittings have only two holes within which wires can be screwed. The light was bought from abroad - is this because foreign lighting is different to UK electrics or am I being stupid...?

[ericmark]

A standard problem we take power to each lamp and the center connection is live at all times. If you go to projects page you have pictures. Be careful with black and/or blue wires often standard cable instead of cable with two red or brown wires are used and sleeves are fitted to identify the black or blue cable as being live rather than neutral but these often fall off (or may be never fitted) and unless you very carefully note this wire it can be very hard to identify latter. Note black has been replaced with blue and red with brown which is why I list both colours.

[kbrownie]

Hi edtillotson, sometimes light fittings bought from abroad have different configuration regarding the cable colours, but electrical princibles are still the same. When you say a three wire feed from ceiling, is it three singles i.e Black, red,
Green and Yellow (this being one cable,sometimes left bare). or is there three sets of twin+earth (that is the coloured cables previously mentioned but grouped together in grey or white pvc covering) and what coloured cables are on the fitting and where was it from?
KB