2

I'm changing a ceiling light and am a bit confused (hence why I'm here!) There are four cables coming out of the ceiling. Two cables with red/black/yellow&green wires, one cable with just red/black wires and one cable with only a red wire. I've (successfully) changed lights on a loop system before, but it's the first time I've come across this... Edit> Schoolboy error I'm afraid. No pics or notes taken of previous connection. My ever-so helpful wife disconnected them whilst I was washing the car (as prompt for me to get the new lights up) Update: an earth wire has been cut short in the switch cable. And the single red wire must be from the extra wall switch I found!

I'm in the UK btw image1

AakashM
  • 103
  • 4
Chris
  • 21
  • 2
  • 4
    did you take note of how the wires were connected? – ratchet freak Jun 27 '23 at 13:08
  • Please include the pictures you took before disconnecting everything. Impossible to tell anything from what you've shown. – JACK Jun 27 '23 at 13:10
  • Schoolboy error I'm afraid. No pics or notes taken of previous connection. My ever-so helpful wife disconnected them whilst I was washing the car (as prompt for me to get the new lights up) – Chris Jun 27 '23 at 13:19
  • Thankfully she switched off the power at the consumer unit first! – Chris Jun 27 '23 at 13:19
  • Start out by identifying the hot .feed, wires with a voltge detector. Then check outlets and lights in other rooms to see if they still have power since one of those wires could be the source. Then remove and pull out the switch that operated the old light and try to identify with wires go from there to the ceiling. Edit findings into your qusstion. – JACK Jun 27 '23 at 13:42
  • 1
    Are you in the UK by any chance? That looks like (pre-2004) UK wiring. In that case I'd expect a cable from the consumer unit (maybe via other lights), a cable on to other lights (both of those with an earth connection), and a cable to a switch (with the earth cut short if the switch box and faceplate are plastic). You appear to have a 4th cable, with just a red. Is there another light controlled by the same switch? 2 switches controlling one light? – Chris H Jun 27 '23 at 13:55
  • Cheers @ChrisH. Yes in UK. Sorry, should have said. Didn't realise this was US. Yes, the earth on the switch cable has been cut short. And I have found another light switch controlling this light. Would that mean, both of the switch wires go into the live connection on the light fitting?.. – Chris Jun 28 '23 at 08:32
  • This isn't "US", however, there is probably a large majority of askers & answerers from the US here. That's why we ask for your locale - so those of us who _don't_ know other systems can keep quiet, and those who do can answer appropriately. ;) – FreeMan Jun 28 '23 at 12:07
  • @Chris it's international, but a lot of people assume US, so it's as well to be certain. My suspicion is that the red&black and red only cables are for switching, but I can't find a diagram of exactly how it would be done with that combination. – Chris H Jun 28 '23 at 12:10

0 Answers0