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Wiring a new light fitting... help please

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raelgrin | 18:53 Sun 21st Mar 2010 | DIY
16 Answers
I have a new light fitting.
From my ceiling I have the following:
a blue wire
a black wire
two red wires
a yellow wire with a red sleeve
a green/yellow wire

One my new fitting I have:
L
N
Earth
And a spare hole in the connector thing with no wires either side.

I have tried:
both reds in the L
blue and black in the N
green/yellow in the Earth
yellow with red sleeve in the spare
The lights came on when the power was put back on but the switch in my room would not turn the fixing off...nothing except the fuse box would control it.

So what should I do now???
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get an electrician to do it.
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Question Author
Hi docspock - thanks for the advice... I will try your suggestion i the morning as I can not see now it is dark!!!!
So I will try the following...
All three reds in the L
Blue and Black in the N
Yellow/Green in the Earth spot
Many thanks and I will let you know how it goes :)
Not an answer but it may help

http://www.diydoctor....jects/ceilingrose.htm
"Hi docspock - thanks for the advice... I will try your suggestion i the not see now it is dark!!!!"

What? .. no light?
seriously ... if you are asking these questions, you possibly should employ a qualified tradesman.
Hi Raelgrin, Dont connect wires as in your answer, you will trip the breaker in your fuse box, the only neutral wire is the black, consider the two reds, the blue and yellow as live, why it did'nt trip / blow / fuse, in your last attempt was because you isolated the yellow with the red sleeve in what you call the spare. When you get cables with red, yellow and blue coloured wires you have normally two way switching ie. more than one light switch, before attempting any connections make sure the supply is off at fuse board double check this with other lights in building, how i would have connected it up but please note it might not be right? the two reds have to go together if you spare hole in the new fitting is not a second earth block / terminal and is isolated from the earth connection put them in there. Otherwise join them in a connector block and tape up, The yellow with the small red sleevind would indictate to me its the return live feed from a switch this goes to L of the fitting. if that dos'nt work let me know i would need to know some more information from you,, kind regards red-forest.
hire a professional to do electrical work, don't take that chance if you are not sure.
ask for Man-On-The-Top-Of-The-Clapham-Omnibus on this site - he's an electrician

http://www.sportsansw....com/Sports-Pub-Chat/
k n o b b y - not the censored name ^^
sorry but i should have said that the blue should go with the two reds, then try both switches in both postions if not correct swop over the blue with the yellow one. let us know how you get on, regards red-forest.
Blue yellow red and an earth (probably has loose green/yellow stripped sleeve on it) sounds line a 3 way cable which implies you have multiple switches to your lamp.

Black, red, should have another earth with loose sleeve, should be another cable.

Identify both first so you know which is which.
I am all for folk learning but if you have to ask here then maybe you should watch the experts do it a few times first ?

Needs to be said that just because a wire colour suggests it should be going somewhere, you probably don't know what cowboy last played with the wiring so check what you can as you go to be sure.

Once identified (with the power off) at your own risk ensure the wires are separated and not touching and at your own risk turn the power back on, and at your own risk use a neon (electrician's) screwdriver to check each and ensure the live wires are the ones you expect them to be. then turn the power off again.

I'm a little surprised the 3 way cable went tot he light fitting. I would expect only the power in cable and a normal cable going to the first switch. The blue/red/yellow 2 way cable tends to be between the 2 switches.

I was going to give further instructions but I think you need someone to check what the last person left for you, first.
What you may wish to do is to open up your wall switches, see if you can deduce how they connect to each other and to the lamp fitting. It may be that the previous electrician didn't use one of the blue/yellow/red wires. It may be that the red from it is connected to the incoming live wire in the other cable, and the yellow is being used as a switched live back from the switch to the lamp. If the blue wire is left unconnected in the wall switch that might be a clue.
Please please for gods sake do not listen to what this idiot red forest says about connecting the blue wire to the live, the blue wire at the light is a neutral in the circuit.
Yes red yellow and blue wires (3 core and earth) are used in two way switching between switches the yellow normally being the common and the red and blue being the strappers.
But 3 core and earth can also be used between lights for certain reasons which are to complicated to explain to you but if they are then the blue is the neutral, there are also other scenarios as well.

There could be a few different ways that this is connected but you have not given enough information for me to make a proper diagnosis but for gods sake do not connect the blue to the live.
K.N.O.B.B.Y

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