Ceiling Rose

[slappedbear]

Hi - Just wondered if anyone could help me... I have a ceiling rose with 2 cables entering it. Each cable as a yellow, blue, red & earth wire. There is one other light fitting that is on the same switch. Can anyone advise me where each of these wires goes? I made the rookie error of not writing them down. Unfortunately no wire is marked live.
I've uploaded a photo.
Thanks

Untitled

• slappedbear
• 4 Sep 2012
• 1

 

[SimonH2]

Well there could be many ways of connecting them
If you look behind the switch (or switches - how many are there) that controls the lights, what do you find ?

 

[securespark]

Also have a look at the other light fitting: which cores are connected to which terminals?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

[cut to the chase]

Slappedbear - do you have a multimeter, knowledge of how to use it and an understanding of how lighting circuits work?

If not, your choices are:

1) Acquire those 3 things

2) Get an electrician.

[/cut]

 

[slappedbear]

Thanks for the response guys.

I have an 'understanding' of electrical circuits, but obviously not good enough!

The switch controlling these 2 lights is part of a 3g, the middle switch is the one for these lights. I've attached some more photos in my album, hopefully you can see them!

 

[Chri5]

Ignore the feed out, you should find one cable has a permanent live so that will be the LNE supply, the other will be the switch (switched live) cable.

If you get a multi meter and set it to continuity, when on the switch wire that will give continuity when the switch is on, and lose it when switched off.

 

[securespark]

I can't work out exactly what you've got at the switch.

Can you confirm the following:

RYB from one cable goes to L1, L2 and C of the left hand switch (the terminals closest to the LHS of the switch as you look at it on the wall).


What does the RH switch operate?

The others do what?

How many separate conductors are there connected to the switch?

Are there 3 cables going to the switch - 2x 3 core and one T&E?

What is connected to the 2nd terminal from the left (on the bottom row)?

On the bottom row of terminals, there is a red wire in the LH terminal, then one I can't see, then a yellow wire, then a red wire.

 

[SimonH2]

It's hard to see, but this is what I think is going on ...

Ignore the LH switch (RH in the second pic) - that looks like it's just one end of a different 2-way switching circuit.
In the third pic, we can see the blue of one 3C+E in a choc block with a black.
So I think we have red=permanent live, blue=neutral, and yellow=switched live.

Since there are two lights on this circuit, I'm thinking that at the rose :
the two reds should be in the loop terminal, the two blues in the neutral, and the two yellows in the switched live terminal. I'd hazard a guess (can the OP get a photo ?) that in the rose for the other fitting, we are likely to find one or two T+E cables as well - one a feed, possibly a second looping out.

So the arrangement would be - feed to other light rose, link to the rose that's been disconnected (3C+E for permanent live and switched live), dropper to switch (3C+E) including neutral for the circuit controlled by the third switch.

that's just guesswork, and as BAS says, the OP will need to get his meter out and confirm this before wiring up and switching on.

If the OP has has the power back on with these wires out (more than a bit naughty) - does the light controlled by the third switch (the one with two red wires only) fail to work ?

 

[slappedbear]

Hi Guys, problem solved! Many thanks for all your advise/help.
I borrowed a meter, one yellow was live from switch, the 2nd feed to the 2nd light.
All wired correct now & working a treat.
Thanks again.

 

[securespark]

Interesting. So why 3 core to the 2nd light?

Maybe one conductor brings a loop from the 2nd light to the 1st, while another brings a switchwire the other way and the third is neutral.

 

[SimonH2]

Interesting. So why 3 core to the 2nd light?

Maybe one conductor brings a loop from the 2nd light to the 1st, while another brings a switchwire the other way and the third is neutral.

See my post three up from this one !

I suspect there is a loop and neutral from the other light, via this one, and down to the switch to feed another circuit. You can see the blue linked to the black of a T&E, the red of that T&E is fed via the 3rd switch on the plate from the red of the 3C&E from the rose.

Interesting that the sparky should mix methods like that. One circuit with a switch dropper from the rose, and another looped via the switch. Guess it made sense for the layout of the place.