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www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk Forum Index -> Electric Forum UK
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mog1
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 5
Location: Cambridgeshire
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 Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:47 pm Post subject: How can I work out which is the switch wire? |
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I have replaced one old track light (which was attached directly to the flex of a ceiling rose) with a new pendant light. There were just two cables from the ceiling and I was able to identify the switch cable easily and hey presto it all works. When I came to replace the other similar light fitting, I found there were 3 cables into the ceiling rose and to make matters worse, I lost my head and undid all the cables without first identifying the switch cable. The wires that I have are: one cable has bare earth (sleeved) plus red and black cables, the other two cables have red, blue and bare earth (sleeved) plus a yellow cable each. The two yellows were both separately joined in a terminal block. I have tried the black cable being the switch cable and this turned out wrong. From reading various articles, I see that the yellow cables are to do with switches. How do I identify which cable is the switch cable that I need to attach my new light fitting brown cable to? The new fitting has a terminal block. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.  |
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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DIY | DIY Video |
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mog1
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 5
Location: Cambridgeshire
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:26 pm Post subject: Re: How can I work out which is the switch wire? |
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Thanks for the video - very helpful. Now if someone can get all the wires and terminal block to sit neatly inside the light fitting cover, that would be superb! Thanks for the help. It's good to get some decent advice with show-how.  |
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mog1
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 5
Location: Cambridgeshire
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:58 pm Post subject: Identify switched live - the sequel. |
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| Dear all, having identified the switched live, I still have a problem in wiring up the terminal block. It would appear there has been some creative wiring. I have attached a couple of pics I think which may help. The new fitting replaces a ceiling rose that had two terminals for the flex, three for loop, 3 for neutral plus the earth. In addition, two yellow wires were joined together in a separate terminal block (i.e. connected into opposite ends of the two-wire block). I now these yellows to be the switched lives for the dining room light and the lounge light. I cannot remember and do not recall these being connected in any other way to anything else. Both lights are operated from one 2 gang 1 way socket. Only one 4 core cable comes into the switch and then the two L1 positions are cross connected. I replaced the lounge light first and wired this up according to instructions and it has worked fine. When I came to replace the dining room light, however, I have this piggy-backing of the lounge light onto the switched live of the dining room light and so I don't know how to connect the dining room flex live up in the new terminal block. Hopefully the pictures will explain a bit more. Any ideas (excluding getting in an electrician to separate out the two lights). |
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Rich-Ando
Approved Electrician
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 2618
Location: Derby, Derbyshire
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:46 am Post subject: |
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attach the pictures as an image instead of adding a download.
personally, i never click anything to download unless i know the source. |
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mog1
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 5
Location: Cambridgeshire
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| Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject: Yellow wire mystery |
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| Sorry, Rich-Ando. I don't know how to do that. According to the instructions there are administrator permissions required and I don't have a separate location for the pictures to be viewed. I don't normally post pictures of any kind! |
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sparkysam
Junior Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| connect all red permenant lives together in a termial block in a pendant this will be labeled LOOP then all the blues together into N and then ur switch wires into L your switch wires will be where the live cable from your new light or pendant will go |
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