Advice RE replacing light please.

[mgeragh]

Hello

I am replacing a halogen spotlight that kept blowing bulbs and looked appauling. I am moving it over the the next available joist so will need to move wires over too.

When removing the old light it was connected to the brown and blue only and there is no give to pull the wires over so will need to extend it over to the joist.

Please see attached image... can somebody advise on the best way to extend and how to reconnect the earth?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

Untitled

• mgeragh
• 30 May 2013
• 1

 

[wingcoax]

Your best bet is to lift floorboards upstairs and see which way the cables run, looking at your pic it would seem that you already have a junction box somewhere in the run. What is the other large single for? Is it live?

 

[mgeragh]

Could this then be just a case of dragging it over from under floofboards.

I am not sure if it is live or indeed what it is for!

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Your best bet is to lift floorboards upstairs and see which way the cables run

You'll also find it easier to repair the ceiling if you have access from above.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I am not sure if it is live

Please don't say that you have no way of finding out...

or indeed what it is for!

Unless you've removed any conductors from that rose it isn't for anything.

 

[mgeragh]

I can get above thats no problem. I can test if live but didnt fancy it at gone midnight last night. Dont think I removed anything else, assumed it may be the switch? As when i used it last it was always on!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I can get above thats no problem.

Good.

I can test if live but didnt fancy it at gone midnight last night.

Fair enough.

With a proper 2-pole tester, of course, not a neon screwdriver.

Dont think I removed anything else, assumed it may be the switch?

How could it be the switch if nothing else is connected to it?

 

[rjm2k]

As when i used it last it was always on!

How did you "use it last"? put a bulb in, or something else you've not mentioned?

 

[mgeragh]

why are the screwdrivers advised against?

The reason i think it was the swich is last time i replaced a bulb (a while ago) the light had turned around so a cable inside had came loose. I put the cables back in however it was always on, so took the bulb out and now trying to replace it.

If this is not the switch where would it be? Or would it be the main black wire?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Neon screwdrivers are not advised because:

1. they only give an indication re the presence of a voltage. They do not test the integrity or presence of the neutral connection. And that may the cause of your problem.
2. they lie to you - they may show a voltage when there is none really there (due to induced voltages)
2 cont. They sometime show there is no voltage when there is one actually there.
3. The neon indicator will only come on above a certain voltage. Below that voltrage it wont light, but there may still be a dangerous voltage present.
4. The construction of the screwdriver relies on the tip being touched on 230volts. The other part of the circuit is YOUR body down to earth. The only thing standing between you and 230volts is a weedy resistor of uncertain capability. These break down, go short circuit and/or will give you the full monty under wet conditions.

No electrician worth his/her salt will use one for proper testing. They are OK for keeping a door open. That's all.

So, in sum,mary, they are hopeless, useless and dangerous. They should be removed from sale.

A while ago there was an amnesty where any neon screwdriver could be taken to special centres for disposal. In my town, the centre was the police station (see below.) but many electricians were so ashamed at having the devil's tool that they left them at the door in the dead of night and melted away into the night.

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 11 Feb 2009
• 20

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The reason i think it was the swich is last time i replaced a bulb (a while ago) the light had turned around so a cable inside had came loose.

Inside where?

I put the cables back in

What had come loose, and where did you put it "back in"?

however it was always on, so took the bulb out and now trying to replace it.

And if the replacement light is on all of the time, will that be OK?

If this is not the switch where would it be? Or would it be the main black wire?

How would a switch be wired if there was only one conductor between it and the light?

Have you looked at the switch?

In that rose you have 3 conductors (not counting the earth), and they are in 3 separate terminals. We know that 2 of them are neutral and permanent live - what's the 3rd one?

Replacing the light is not going to fix the problem of it being on all of the time - you need to do some learning about circuits in general and lighting circuits in particular.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics