3 loop, 1 switch?:

[brakespear]

I am trying to fit a ceiling rose - unfortunately, the original light fitting had been removed before we moved in. I have a two gang switch controlling the hall and outside light (1 way fitting).
However, at the ceiling point I have three grey cables (one red, one black in each) and a white cable from switch (1 red, 1 black, 1 earth) - the ceiling batten I have only has sockets for 3 red and 3 black and I have four of each. Help!
UPDATE - just to muddy the waters, the white cable and one of the greys appears to run from the switch - however, there is no sleeve tape on any of the wires at the ceiling to show which is the switch cable.

 

[plugwash]

you have cable without an earth?

if this is the case then your lighting cuircuit really should be rewired anyway

i would guess that the 3 grey cables are your normal cuircuit cables and switch cable and the white cable is a spur going to a juntion box from which another white switch cable and a cable to the light are run

 

[brakespear]

This being the case I need to make this safe until I can get this rewired - any ideas how I can wire this setuo to a standard light batten (ie switch, 3 live, earth and 3 neutral)?
If its any help - the 2 gang switch has the normal black back box with LI, L2 and Common at both ends. The grey cable black is L1 (bottom), the grey cable red is in Common (top). The white cable red is in L! (top) and the white cable black is in Common (bottom) There are two earths at the switch.

 

[plugwash]

you need to find out which of the grey cables from the lighting point goes to the switch which means you need to test with a multimeter on its lowest resistance range (with power to the lighting cuircuit off ofc)

then connect as follows

all reds together in the central block of the pendant base

the black from the switch (which should technically be red sleeved) to the brown flex from the lampholder

the other 3 blacks to the blue flex from the lampholder

all earth wires to the earth terminal (generally one big bare metal terminal) in the lampholder

additionally if the outside light has any exposed metalwork run a peice of 4mm single earth from the lampholder earth terminal back to the earth block in the CU

this should make your lighting functional and reasonablly safe until you can get it rewired properly

 

[brakespear]

Thanks - I'll give it a go.

 

[brakespear]

Cheers - sussed out which is the switch cable.

I still have four red cables - one from switch, one from spur and two from loop - can I twist two of these together to fit three terminals, and, if so, which?

 

[plugwash]

don't twist just put them into the same terminal and screw it down

as long as they go to the right block it doesn't matter which two share a terminal

you will have the same thing with connecting the 3 blacks (NOT THE BLACK FROM THE SWITCH CABLE) with the blue flex from the light

 

[breezer]

you can always look in the reference section

 

[brakespear]

Thanks, plugwash - all appears to be working.

You're a star!

Breezer:

Sorry - I had a diagram for a standard connection, just wasn't sure what to do with the extra cable. Must have missed it in the reference section

 

[plugwash]

there are no specific diagrams for it but its a logical extention that most people with a clue about electrics would figure out pretty quick


===========================
locked to prevent hi jacking