Help, please, to wire a wall light

werbone

Please see attached photo of the wiring coming out of my wall for a wall light. It's in a loop (there's another light with much simpler wiring), which presumably explains the number of wires? The light itself obviously has live and neutral and earth. I would appreciate of someone could tell me which wires to connect to L, N and E.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Stoner

First of all an electrician would use a phase tester to check that the red wire it the live (looks like it is, all wires would be checked BTW)
they would then identify the MCB/Fuse that turned this off, and check and confirm that the phase tester confirmed that all cables were now dead.

first of all the green wire and the bare wire in with the joined red and black cable go together. they are the earth cable.

Typically if this was looped we would expect to see 2 red and 2 black cables.
One red being the live feed, the other the looped live to the other light, and the same with the blacks, one being the N in and the other the looped N.

Now it appears as if you have three black cables and one red cable left.

this may not be the case but by the process of elimination we could possibly assume the following.

The green and the bare wire are joined forming the earth circuit, 2 down 4 to go.
The Red cable is a live cable, 3 down 3 to go
The black cable paired with the red cable is a neutral, 4 down 2 to go.

Now we have to decide which of the remaining black cables is the looped live and which is the looped neutral.

If it feeds the other light, you could look at it and see if you can tell the difference between the cables, it does looks as if there is a difference, one might be stranded and bigger and the other smaller and single core.

TBH if it's only a light with a standard bulb it with work either way (if it is the last light on the circuit and only has a live, neutral and earth as you described in the OP)

Does the other light have two black cables and one green cable in it?

Bang up a pic of its wiring and we can help more.

Bye the way I'm not saying that colours don't matter, the correct thing to have is the correct cables in the wall and you should organise same if you want your installation to have the correct codes.

KoolKid

Red & Brown to Live
Blue & Black to Neutral
Green & bared cable to earth
(take stoners advice first though)

werbone

See attached photo of other light.

Using a phase tester on both lights:

1. On wired light neither red nor black seemed live.
2. On other light, the black cable on its own (not the one paired with the red and not the one ducted with the green) is live. No other cable is live.

Where does that leave me, please and thank you.

werbone

...all cables except earths are same gauge and not stranded, single core.

Stoner

well if the the other light is wired but looped of the other disconnected fitting it wont light a phase tester or work (does it work at the moment?)

BTW is that the paired red black and bare earth cable feeding the light on the second circuit?

also test with the pahse tester if either of the single Grey black cables is live, one should be if the fittings are wired as per your discription.

therefore one could assume that the black that lights the phase tester is the live in and is connected to the red cable, and the other is the Neutral. the paired red/black/earth is the looped feed.

But come back to us first before you do any connections?

werbone

The other light isn't working (have checked the bulb in case)

I can't be certain the the paired black red (no earth wire visible) at the wired light feeds the other light. Can only guess that it's likely.

Yes, the single black cable lights the phase tester.

I'll do nothing til I get your recommendation.

Stoner

so one black single cable lights the phase tester and the other one does not?

If thats the case it could be that the red goes to the black that lights the phase tester on one connection block and join up the other two blacks together on their own connection block, join the earth cables on their own too.

the sparks might have cut the earth away from the twin and earth cable (you could have a good look into it and see if you can see the end of the chopped off earth. I would be wise to try to get this earth if the fitting has conducting parts.

Obviously turn the power off first and double check that all cables are dead.

this is what it looks like to me, but I'm not there looking at it, if I was I'd bell out the cables and identify them at each end.

remember if you are unsure don't do it, get an electrician in. I'm assuming that you have already disconnected these lights and turned them off at the fuse board, so you have some level of skill?? if this assumption is wrong then ignore the advice given here and get a qualified person in please.

Best of luck with it

werbone

Many Thanks Stoner, it's now working, per your instructions. Thank you Koolkid also.

(To set your mind at ease Stoner, I do have some related skills: a Mech Eng degree and no. of years experience in servicing instrumentation. However the 3 black and 1 red cable threw me, hence the call for help).

Thanks again.

Stoner

No problem, glad it worked.

flyfree

Just because it works does not mean it is safe.