lights and switches

[j_cmacphee@n]

I have two lights on one switch, the power is coming from a plug on the same wall. I had this installed but never connected. There is a line from 1 light that has 4 wires (ground, live, common and red), one from the other light that has 3 wires(ground, live and common) and the same from the plug(3 wires). What do I do with all these wires to connect them to the switch?   

[tony1941]

I am a bit worried about your descriptions of the wires.:

1) Are you in the UK?

2) By "line", do you mean flexible cable?

3) By "Common" do you mean Neutral?

If you answer this I'm sure I can sort you out safely.

(Problem is that wire colours in the UK are in the process of changing, and also a red wire in a flex is either very old or foreign)

PS a long time ago I encountered a water-filled baby bottle heater that had a RED wire on Ground!!!!!! - - now I don't trust anything!!!!

[j_cmacphee@n]

No, I'm not in the UK, I'm in Canada. By line, I mean a cluster of wires(4-live, ground, red and neutral or 3-live,ground and neutral)enclosed in a white rubber covering. I hope this helps you to help me. Thanks.  

[tony1941]

The two "lines" from the lights have to be connected in parallel, ie, join live to live, neutral to neutral, and ground to ground.  I am still worried about what the red wire is, but if it is cut back or insulated so it doesn't touch anything else it should be fine.  The switch (if it is a two pole one), will have the live and the neutral coming from the plug on the input and two terminals to provide switched live and switched neutral for the output. (alternatively, it may be single pole, in which case only the live is switched and you have to connect all the neutrals together with a separate terminal.  Connect both light lives and neutrals together and to these terminals. The grounds must also be connected together and then to the ground from the plug (this should be available within the switch as a separate, unswitched connection.)  Don't forget to isolate the power before starting work.  If you're nothappy about doing this, consult an electrician; it's a bit difficult without seeing the type of switch, but common sense should sort it out. 

[Hamish]

A possible explanation for the red wire is that this was added as a switch wire so that the lights couls be opperated by two switches independantly. 4 core switch wire may have been used rotuinely. You will not need this wire if there are no other swithes wich opperate the light, otherwise it gets a little more complicated.