# Wires hanging from the ceiling



## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

I'm looking for some guidance with fitting a florescent light.

I originally had florescent light but went modern and had two triple bulb fittings which I went off rather quickly as they were burning 120w X 2

I have now taken them down and I have an assortment of wires hanging down X 2. 
I see a "red" which must be "live" , and a "black" which must be neutral ?
and a couple of greeny ones which must be earths ?

Am I on the right track so far ??


Biglol


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

Sorry Biglol, but if your knowledge of electrics is this basic then I would suggest calling an electrician.

Best case is you blow the fuses
worst case your in a heap on the floor charred black   


Alan H


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yep Biglol,
Sounds like you are right on track. But personally if you need this much guidance I feel this could be a risky business.

There are reasons some of us had to endure a six year apprenticeship to handle wires without supervision. OK this has now been reduced to a six week CVK course I hear.

I think you should bring in a friendly competent electrical bloke to make the final connections.

Ray.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi, I think you need my electrician friend.


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

Biglol said:


> I'm looking for some guidance with fitting a florescent light.
> 
> I originally had florescent light but went modern and had two triple bulb fittings which I went off rather quickly as they were burning 120w X 2
> 
> ...


This may not be correct. I have seen wiring the other way round. You also need to look carefully for a tracer colour. You need a wiring diagram and a meter to check it out. You also need to be careful about loading. Wires in motorhomes are not made over large and may well not take the current


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Fatalhud -

_Best case is you blow the fuses 
worst case your in a heap on the floor charred *black* _

You have obviously NOT been following the current racist threads on MHF.

you should have written

_worst case your in a heap on the floor charred *not white* _!!!

Seriously, I agree with the earlier responses. 
Respectfully, you do not appear to have sufficient electrical knowledge to do the job safely.


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## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

Many thanks for your comments, I know you are correct in telling me to get a pro, but it is not that easy to get an electrician to do a small simple job that should only take a few minutes. 

I'll try and get an expert but might have to have a go in the long run.   
I will be turning the mains off before I start 

Biglol


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Last time I tried that a bedroom light used to come on everytime I switched the kitchen light off!

I got a sparker in, bl***y kids complained so much. :lol: :lol:


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

safariboy said:


> Biglol said:
> 
> 
> > I'm looking for some guidance with fitting a florescent light.
> ...


Is this actually in a motorhome or, as seems more likely, in the OP's house? I'm confused as some replies seem to relate to one & some to the other :? ?


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi it sounds as if you have a modern ring main, a 1.5mm twin&earth leaves the fuse box, goes around all the ceiling fittings and returns to the fuse box.

You should also have another T&E going to the light switch, this may be red/red/earth or red/black/earth with red tape around the end of the black wire if your lucky.

Olley


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## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

Yes olley, you are spot on

biglol


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Lighting circuits are not usually on a ring and thus only one end goes to the consumer unit.

The wire just hops from light rose to light rose and ends at the last one.

From each rose there should be another wire descending to the appropriate switch.


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## Spooky_b329 (Jan 24, 2009)

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:lighting_circuit_layouts

Also, some other stuff:

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

I have never known a lighting circuit to be wired as a ring main 8O 

If you have disconnected the lights without making a note of where the wires were connected then you will have to bell the circuit out, Which means you have to test and identify each core of every cable at the light

If you do not have the ability to do this then I again would suggest you get someone who understands electrical circuits to help.

There are 3 main ways of wiring lighting circuits
If you do not know which system the original electrician used then you are at risk of causing a short circuit or worse 

Alan H


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## windyspark (Sep 23, 2009)

one of the wires will be a feed (red) and neutral (black) the other wire will be a wire to the switch also red and black. the two reds connect together and one black is the neutral and the other black is the return from the switch (the switch wire). the problem is determining which black is the neutral and which is the switch wire.If you have a test lamp or multi meter you can put one lead on to the reds and one of the blacks. the black that gives you 240v is the neutral. so connect your light to the black neutral and the black which is the switched feed. hope this helps but if you are in any way unsure don't do attempt it


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

windyspark said:


> one of the wires will be a feed (red) and neutral (black) the other wire will be a wire to the switch also red and black. the two reds connect together and one black is the neutral and the other black is the return from the switch (the switch wire). the problem is determining which black is the neutral and which is the switch wire.If you have a test lamp or multi meter you can put one lead on to the reds and one of the blacks. the black that gives you 240v is the neutral. so connect your light to the black neutral and the black which is the switched feed. hope this helps but if you are in any way unsure don't do attempt it


Windy, you are making assumptions on how the circuit is wired.
What if junction boxes where used?
What if it is wired in singles?

You cannot assume, you have to check

Alan H


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## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

Thank you all for your comments, I am now quite sure I will not be doing it, I shall get someone who knows what they are doing.

Again, many thanks

Biglol


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## windyspark (Sep 23, 2009)

fatalhud you are right i was assuming it is wired with twin and earth, but even then your right it might be wired using a joint box,if there is another light that came on with this one it could be a straight L+N in and out, maybe he should get professional help, if he can get a spark to come out do such a small job,


good luck biglol


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

The diagram of intermediate switching reminds me of the time when I tried to work it out from scratch - very difficult concept!


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

*Deleted duplicate post again :evil:*


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

pippin said:


> The diagram of intermediate switching reminds me of the time when I tried to work it out from scratch - very difficult concept!


It reminds me of when I was living in New York. One of my car pool buddies had trouble with one of his lamps, which was controlled by three switches so there was evidently an intermediate switch involved. He didn't understand this system & sent his wife down to one of the local DIY sheds to buy "a switch". Now the ubiquitous basic US wall switch could be bought at these places for 29 to 49 cents & this is what she bought. Of course, when he came to fit it, he discovered a lot more wires than he had terminals to fit them to!
He mentioned this when we were driving in one morning. We used to start out VERY early to avoid too much traffic on the George Washington bridge & have breakfast in the company cafeteria before starting work. So I tried to explain how they worked whilst we drove in, but he couldn't get it. This was not helped by their different terminology. "Two-way" are called "three-way" for some reason, possibly because there are three wires involved. Because of this I suspected, correctly as it happened, that the intermediate system would be called "four-way". Whilst we were having breakfast I sketched out the intermediate system on a napkin but he was no wiser & still couldn't see why he couldn't just use a standard switch. :roll: 
I suggested that he get his wife to go to a proper electrical supplier & ask for a four-way switch, which was successful & he now had what we call an intermediate switch. This cost $28 as opposed to the few cents of a standard switch so led to more bitching & moaning! 
Inevitably I suppose after this performance I ended up going round to his house & installing the switch. From then on any electrical problems in his house were referred to me.


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