Light wiring help

b.gud

Hey guys I'm hoping that I can get some help from ye, I'll try to explain my situation as best as possible but I don't know all the correct terminology so please bear with me.

So I went doing some DIY this weekend, changing some light fixtures to keep herself happy. I had done this a few times before without any issue so figured it should be easy enough. The difference this time was that the lights were attached to 2 way switches.

The fitting that we got just had connections for live neutral and earth whereas the ones we were replacing had multiple live and neutral connections as well as loop connections. Both existing fittings had a 3 core wire and a second wire coming into them. In one fitting the second wire just had the live wire and in the other the second wire had the neutral and earth wires.

Tbh I was too sure what to do so I just hooked up as normal i.e. Live to live, earth to earth and neutral to neutral hooking the wore from the 2nd wire in with the other one, so 1 light had 2 neutral wires and 2 earth wires going into the light fitting and the other light fitting had 2 live wires going in to it

After putting back up the lights and turning back on the power only one of the lights worked and lights in other rooms downstairs had stopped working. I figured that I needed to have it connected up like the previous ones were so I tried to connect the lights up using the connector from the previous light fitting and now none of the lights work. No switches have tripped though.

I'm going to be calling an electrician tomorrow but I'm just wondering is there any chance I can fix without one? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

kingstevii

b.gud wrote: »

Hey guys I'm hoping that I can get some help from ye, I'll try to explain my situation as best as possible but I don't know all the correct terminology so please bear with me.

So I went doing some DIY this weekend, changing some light fixtures to keep herself happy. I had done this a few times before without any issue so figured it should be easy enough. The difference this time was that the lights were attached to 2 way switches.

The fitting that we got just had connections for live neutral and earth whereas the ones we were replacing had multiple live and neutral connections as well as loop connections. Both existing fittings had a 3 core wire and a second wire coming into them. In one fitting the second wire just had the live wire and in the other the second wire had the neutral and earth wires.

Tbh I was too sure what to do so I just hooked up as normal i.e. Live to live, earth to earth and neutral to neutral hooking the wore from the 2nd wire in with the other one, so 1 light had 2 neutral wires and 2 earth wires going into the light fitting and the other light fitting had 2 live wires going in to it

After putting back up the lights and turning back on the power only one of the lights worked and lights in other rooms downstairs had stopped working. I figured that I needed to have it connected up like the previous ones were so I tried to connect the lights up using the connector from the previous light fitting and now none of the lights work. No switches have tripped though.

I'm going to be calling an electrician tomorrow but I'm just wondering is there any chance I can fix without one? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

You've the wrong brown out of the connector,and you've now mixed up the loop-in/switch feeds with the switch wire. Just mark the spare wire with a pen, put it in the connector and take another wire out of the connector. If doesn't work, mark this wire and repeat.

b.gud

kingstevii wrote: »

You've the wrong brown out of the connector,and you've now mixed up the loop-in/switch feeds with the switch wire. Just mark the spare wire with a pen, put it in the connector and take another wire out of the connector. If doesn't work, mark this wire and repeat.

Thanks will give it a try

Risteard81

I wouldn't recommend trial and error.

kingstevii

Risteard81 wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend trial and error.

why

Og81

Risteard81 wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend trial and error.

Kingstevii has explained it correctly if he wants to sort himself. Just ensure powers off ha

b.gud

Og81 wrote: »

Kingstevii has explained it correctly if he wants to sort himself. Just ensure powers off ha

Yep absolutely won't go near it unless power is off. I'm extra cautious and shut off the entire house and not just the lights

Og81

b.gud wrote: »

Yep absolutely won't go near it unless power is off. I'm extra cautious and shut off the entire house and not just the lights

Be sure to use a continuity tester to be sure here is no remaining power in the loops

Bruthal

Risteard81 wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend trial and error.

I must give that up myself.

punisher5112

Are all the neutrals connected as this will cause the rest of the lights not to work.

Usually 2 or more cables are connected together and if not put back it stops the lights working elsewhere.

Fordcspri23

Og81 wrote: »

Be sure to use a continuity tester to be sure here is no remaining power in the loops

How would one isolate the power in the loops if there were power in the loops? Verified by continuity as per your post.

Og81

Fordcspri23 wrote: »

How would one isolate the power in the loops if there were power in the loops? Verified by continuity as per your post.

I’m not an electrician I’ve just encountered power remaining for a time after tripping the breaker for lights. I usually leave it some time then when recheck it’s discharged the remaining power,

Fordcspri23

Og81 wrote: »

I’m not an electrician I’ve just encountered power remaining for a time after tripping the breaker for lights. I usually leave it some time then when recheck it’s discharged the remaining power,

How does it discharge?.

Bruthal

Og81 wrote: »

I’m not an electrician I’ve just encountered power remaining for a time after tripping the breaker for lights. I usually leave it some time then when recheck it’s discharged the remaining power,

How did you encounter this power after disconnecting the supply?

Bruthal

kingstevii wrote: »

answer please. Or are you just a simpleton?

A little extreme there.

Bruthal

Fordcspri23 wrote: »

How does it discharge?.

A lighting circuit switched off at the MCB will be instantly de-energised.

Og81

Bruthal wrote: »

How did you encounter this power after disconnecting the supply?

I’d disconnected went back with phase tester and it still showed power.

Bruthal

Og81 wrote: »

I’d disconnected went back with phase tester and it still showed power.

Well there is your problem. Phase testers will show capacitive coupling from other circuits, as well as other things, making them not very intuitive as testing devices.

Og81

Bruthal wrote: »

Well there is your problem. Phase testers will show capacitive coupling from other circuits, as well as other things, making them not very intuitive as testing devices.

Ah right as I said I’m not an electrician just when at DIY I try stay as safe as possible so would use a phase tester.

Fordcspri23

Bruthal wrote: »

A lighting circuit switched off at the MCB will be instantly de-energised.

Thanks for that, I did not know this.

Bruthal

Og81 wrote: »

Ah right as I said I’m not an electrician just when at DIY I try stay as safe as possible so would use a phase tester.

Ive used them on occasion when refitting a light switch after a diy job had mixed all the wires up. Its amazing how people look into a 3 gang switch and see 8 or 9 cores, and remove the switch thinking they can refit them as they were.

But phase testers are a real mickey mouse item and in the hands of diy persons, even worse.

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

A little extreme there.

Not really. Made a statement, refused to back it up. Simpleton.

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

A lighting circuit switched off at the MCB will be instantly de-energised.

Incorrect. If you're going to correct other posters, at least have your facts right. What if there's a capacitor in the circuit?

Bruthal

kingstevii wrote: »

Incorrect. If you're going to correct other posters, at least have your facts right. What if there's a capacitor in the circuit?

I must be a simpleton too so,

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

Ive used them on occasion when refitting a light switch after a diy job had mixed all the wires up. Its amazing how people look into a 3 gang switch and see 8 or 9 cores, and remove the switch thinking they can refit them as they were.

But phase testers are a real mickey mouse item and in the hands of diy persons, even worse.

Hardly a mickey mouse item when they're sold on every single electrical wholesalers in the country. Pedantic much?

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

I must be a simpleton too so,

Possibly correct. Considering most of what you've posted, yes, possibly.

Kevin Finnerty

Bruthal wrote: »

Ive used them on occasion when refitting a light switch after a diy job had mixed all the wires up. Its amazing how people look into a 3 gang switch and see 8 or 9 cores, and remove the switch thinking they can refit them as they were.

But phase testers are a real mickey mouse item and in the hands of diy persons, even worse.

Are they allowed in an electrician toolbox any more? Heard it somewhere dunno how true.

Bruthal

Kevin Finnerty wrote: »

Are they allowed in an electrician toolbox any more? Heard it somewhere dunno how true.

Banned on most sites probably.

Bruthal

kingstevii wrote: »

Possibly correct. Considering most of what you've posted, yes, possibly.

Link

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

Banned on most sites probably.

Probably? Really? Is a lad fixing his light in his house on a site?

kingstevii

Bruthal wrote: »

Link

A lighting circuit switched off at the MCB will be instantly de-energised.