kitchen ceiling lights
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dazza51
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kitchen ceiling lights

by dazza51 » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:44 pm

i have 3 sets of wires coming out of the ceiling how do i no what goes where when putting a new light up,3reds 3blacks and 3 earths can some one help me please. ty

Sara H
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by Sara H » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:12 am

Dazza51

I would say from your description what you have are 2 lives, 2 neutrals, 1 live (from switch) and 1 switched live (from switch) the earths are for each of the thre cables. Now if done correctly one of the black cables should have a red piece of tape on it indicating the switched live. This would go in the Brown terminal of a pendant fitting or to the Brown wiring of a downlighter. The reds should all be linked together as should the earths and 2 of the blacks should be connected to the Blue terminal. The problem you are faced with if the cables are not marked is determining which is the switch live of the 3 black cables if it is wired this way. If you have access to a multimeter with a diode check (bell test) on it. Isolate the power for the lighting circuit. You can try testing each core of the black with a red and getting someone to operate the light switch. If the bell sounds and then stops when the switch is operated or vice versa then you have found you switched pairs and you can terminate them as per previous instructions. If not proceed to check each individual one until you find them. Its a case of trial and error or a process of elimination.

HTH

ericmark

by ericmark » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:34 am

Should be a sleeve on one of the blacks if not you will need an electrician to ring out wires and identify the switch wire. The black with sleeve goes to lamp brown and the other two blacks go together and to lamp blue.
All reds together and do not connect to lamp. And all earths together.
Eric

stee w
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Thanks sara h, used your info with a bit of trial & erro

by stee w » Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:05 pm

[quote="Sara H"]Dazza51

I would say from your description what you have are 2 lives, 2 neutrals, 1 live (from switch) and 1 switched live (from switch) the earths are for each of the thre cables. Now if done correctly one of the black cables should have a red piece of tape on it indicating the switched live. This would go in the Brown terminal of a pendant fitting or to the Brown wiring of a downlighter. The reds should all be linked together as should the earths and 2 of the blacks should be connected to the Blue terminal. The problem you are faced with if the cables are not marked is determining which is the switch live of the 3 black cables if it is wired this way. If you have access to a multimeter with a diode check (bell test) on it. Isolate the power for the lighting circuit. You can try testing each core of the black with a red and getting someone to operate the light switch. If the bell sounds and then stops when the switch is operated or vice versa then you have found you switched pairs and you can terminate them as per previous instructions. If not proceed to check each individual one until you find them. Its a case of trial and error or a process of elimination.

HTH[/quote]

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