New Ceiling Light

[GreggCQ]

Hello

I am trying to install a new ceiling light - well ceiling fan actually.

Ok, so I have two cables coming from the ceiling, each has one black and one red wire. I connected the two black to the neutral on the light fitting and the two red to the live.

After putting the fuse back in the circuit box, all the lights in the house work except for the new one. When I flick the switch, PING, the main fuse blows at the box.

Grateful for any help !!

 

[breezer]

tip.

if at first you dont succeed look in the refernce section

 

[mo2]

Hello

I am trying to install a new ceiling light - well ceiling fan actually.

Ok, so I have two cables coming from the ceiling, each has one black and one red wire. I connected the two black to the neutral on the light fitting and the two red to the live.

After putting the fuse back in the circuit box, all the lights in the house work except for the new one. When I flick the switch, PING, the main fuse blows at the box.

Grateful for any help !!

it sounds like one of the cables is the switch cable and is shorting the circuit when the switch is turned on, is there any red sleevin/tape on any of the black wires?

 

[GreggCQ]

Thats the thing I'm gonna check now.

If it is the switch cable, where does it go as the connector box that came with the light fitting is only a three way block. Do I need to replace it with a four and wire the live switch in to a separate connector ?

 

[Adam_151]

Yes, you need an extra terminal to put both permanent lives in (both reds) then switched live (black from the switch cable, which should be oversleeved as red) to live, and neutral (the other black to neutral) of course all earths go to the earth connection

 

[GreggCQ]

Ok thanks for the replies so far guys. Neither of the two blacks have any red tape on so I dont know which is switched live and which is neutral.

What next, do I need one of these meter thingamybobs, or can I just do it by trial and error ? Whats the worst that can happen if I get the blacks the wrong way round, will it just blow the fuse like it did before ?

 

[Adam_151]

Ok thanks for the replies so far guys. Neither of the two blacks have any red tape on so I dont know which is switched live and which is neutral.

What next, do I need one of these meter thingamybobs, or can I just do it by trial and error ? Whats the worst that can happen if I get the blacks the wrong way round, will it just blow the fuse like it did before ?

If you get the blacks the wrong way round, the light will still work, but the polarity will be wrong, which actually matters very little for a baynout lamp fitting (other than its 'nicer' to have the wireing the right way round so if anyone works on it in future, etc) but it matters mroe with screw fittings, as the thread needs to be neutral and the blob at the bottom of it, live for obvious reasons.

The switch wire can easily be identified with a multimeter on continuity or low ohms setting

 

[GreggCQ]

Adam and Mo - thanks very much, I'm all sorted. Cheers!