Lights gone out

[chivers67]

As Taylor say - more likely a loose connection. Very often most people's experience often caused by a neutral - which looking at that picture looks the cause.

 

[Tommo1863]

Yeah I think it is the neutrals that have caused it..... The sparky is comin over soon.... I'm not confident replacing the cable and I don't want to just bang a new fitting on with the wire looking like that....
Thanks for the replies everyone.... Been a big help, I'm about halfway through doing the house up so i'll be back with more questions in the future....

 

[Taylortwocities]

I don't want to just bang a new fitting on with the wire looking like that....

Good. Burnt out and melted wires do not make good contact. The wires need cutting back to bright copper.

 

[Tommo1863]

If anyone is still happy to give advice here.... The electrician is giving me the run around.... We have family coming over 200 miles for the weekend and I could really do with the lights working by then..... I'm happy to replace this wire myself but there is literally no room at the ceiling rose to cut back the wire.... The room above has huge floorboards and the one I would need to take up to get to the light is trapped under a doorframe!! What would be the best way to sort this wire out? There are 4 cables going to this light (each one with a live, neutral and Earth) so 12 cables in total... I've tried to gently pull on the cables to see if there's and slack that I can use but there isn't?
Am I taking the floorboards up or is there another way? Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

If there's no available free cable, the options are Floorboards up, or cut a larger hole in the ceiling to see if you can access any free cable.
Make a careful note of what wires go where before you disconnect anything.
There is a (not preferred) option of putting a junction box in the ceiling space. You must use a maintenance free type if you decide to do this.

You will need a new ceiling pendant to replace the melted one too.

 

[stillp]

or cut a larger hole in the ceiling

Or even a hole in the floorboards, with something like the Armeg floorboard hole cutter.

 

[Tommo1863]

Thanks guys.... Guess I better start pulling up floorboards....

 

[Iggifer]

If you have access to a multitool they're a godsend in situations like this (if you're careful!)

 

[Tommo1863]

Final update..... It's sorted..... It turned out there was about 15cm extra cable but it had been clipped to the ceiling baton, the sparky pulled it through and sorted it......
A genuine thanks to all for your input...

 

[stillp]

So why was the other light fitting buzzing?

 

[Tommo1863]

Erm.... Not sure, a totally uneducated guess... Maybe because the problem was with the neutral but the live was still getting to it? I'm not sure

 

[Taylortwocities]

The live and the neutral must make a good connection, or the termination will fail (ie melt).
Buzzing is not a good sign if it is from the terminal area. Transformers/drivers, etc can buzz though and this is normal.

 

[Echo the husky]

Transformers/drivers, etc can buzz though and this is normal.