Please help me understand this wiring

[Ges1]

Hi everyone,

I'm just switching out a fluorescent light in my utility room for a little LED ceiling light, and I'm very confused by this wiring:

I don't quite understand what I'm looking at, since the live doesn't appear to be going anywhere, and I'm further confused about why there is so many different feeds.

If someone could explain, and help me simplify the layout so I can make this work like a standard single switch light, I'd really appreciate it.

The entire house has been switched off, and all lines have been tested with a multimeter.

Thanks!

 

[pete01]

The single black is the switched live (dont lose that mark it with some brown tape) edit... sorry it already has a brown sleeve.

The 2 blacks together are neutrals

The 3 reds are the loop they don't connect to the light.

The green and yellows are the earth wires.

 

[Ges1]

Hi Pete,

Hey thanks for the reply. So the colours make sense, that's all good, but the brown sleeved one is the single live I need? Is there a reason why the red isn't live in this instance?

Do I take it that I can just leave the rest capped off and stuff them into the ceiling?

 

[pete01]

The reds are still live but they are live permanently the black will switch on and off with the switch.

Dont push anything into the ceiling leave it inside the new light fitting as it is now.

 

[Ges1]

Cool mate, thanks. So in this instance, treat the red as neutral black/blue, and the brown as live red/brown? Or have I completely misunderstood you?

 

[pete01]

This might help you makes sense of it, although the switch live isn't marked in this example for some reason.

 

[pete01]

Cool mate, thanks. So in this instance, treat the red as neutral black/blue, and the brown as live red/brown? Or have I completely misunderstood you?

No the 2 blacks in the white connector marked N are neutral.

The black with brown sleeve going to the white connector marked L is live.

The reds stay in the connector block as they are now and connect to nothing.

 

[Ges1]

OK, so essentially, I'm keeping all the terminal blocks in place, and the only thing I'm actually doing is sticking the light on the end of where the old light was?

 

[pete01]

OK, so essentially, I'm keeping all the terminal blocks in place, and the only thing I'm actually doing is sticking the light on the end of where the old light was?

Yes, but you'll remove the wires from the white connector block and put them into the new light terminals.

Remember to turn all the power OFF before doing any of this, dont take any risks.

 

[pete01]

Ps, make sure that brown sleeving doesnt fall off or you'll be in a bit of bother.

 

[Ges1]

lol great advice. Having taken down the old light, the wiring makes sense to me much more now, I think the other wires were throwing me off a bit. Thanks for the help, I'll drop a reply to let you know I haven't blown the house up!

 

[Ges1]

Done! Thanks Pete, appreciate the help, it's all working. Just a quick question:

I didn't have room to house any of the cabling inside the new light, so I had to push everything, including the new terminal, back into the ceiling into all the fibreglass insulation. Is that OK, or is it worth wrapping the terminal black in some way?

Thanks!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Is that OK,

No.

Get one of these (or similar).

Ashley J501 16A Downlighter Junction Box | Hager (J501)

 

[Ges1]

It's not a downlighter, just for reference, does that change anything? As in none of the light itself is in the ceiling - I already have the terminal block in one the cheap terminal cases, is that OK?

 

[pete01]

Done! Thanks Pete, appreciate the help, it's all working. Just a quick question:

I didn't have room to house any of the cabling inside the new light, so I had to push everything, including the new terminal, back into the ceiling into all the fibreglass insulation. Is that OK, or is it worth wrapping the terminal black in some way?

Thanks!

As above no not ok, you need to put the connections into some sort of enclosure.