Wall Light Cables - HELP!!!!

[DIYSparky]

Hi,
I've got a problem which I'd really appreciate some advice on! I'm currently undergoing some building work on my new flat. A builder rewired some of the lights but left the connecting of the light fittings and switches to me.
I have a problem though in that I don't understand how I can attach some wall lights in the living room.
Currently there is a double switch in the living room, one does the ceiling light the other one is for the wall lights. There are three wall lights.

At the first wall light (wall light 1) there are two cables, one cable appears to go to the light switch, the other cable goes to wall light 2. At the 2nd wall light there are two cables, the cable just mentioned (i.e. from wall light 1) and then a 2nd cable which appears to go to wall light 3. At wall light 3 there is only one cable (the one from wall light 2). All the cables are 2 core and earth.
Does anyone have any idea of how on earth they are supposed to be connected. I'd be very thankful if so! And if your wondering why I don't just ask the builder, it's because he's dissappeared on holiday.
Thanks,
Aaron

 

[luminaire]

That seems a bit naughty by the builder leaving you in the lurch like that.
Was he supposed to come back and finish off?
Can you tell me how the switch in the lounge is wired up? Better still can you provide a pic of the wiring?

 

[electronicsuk]

You just need to loop in and out of the fittings. If they don't require an earth then link the lives (where more than one present) both into the same live terminal on the fitting, do the same with the neutral(s), then sleeve the earth cables and fit into a terminal block.

If the fittings already have a 3 terminal block for live, neutral and earth then just link everything in there. As long as all lives, all neutrals and all earths stay together in their respective terminals at the wall lights you will be fine.

Oh - and be careful if the cables are running horizontally, that's usually where the fixings for this type of fitting are located!

 

[GaryMo]

You'll have a problem if your living room light switch doesn't contain a neutral.
Is there a connector block with a two black cables terminated?

 

[DIYSparky]

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated. The wall lights are brand new and all have built in junction boxes for the live and the neutral and a seperate connector for the earth. Are you suggesting that I just connect as shown in the diagram - (apologies for the quality of the picture, I'm no more an artist than I am an electrician), i.e. The lives from the cables to the lives in the wall lights, the neutrals from the cables to the neutrals in the wallights, and the cable earths to the earth terminals in the wall lights etc. Only I didn't think connecting them this way would work, as I couldn't see how the light switch would work with it.... although my only experience is with ceiling lights where there is a seperate source cable. All the cables are two core and earth...
Thanks again for your help.
Aaron

 

[TicklyT]

From your diagram, it looks like you don't have a neutral at the switch . Maybe that's why the builder left it unconnected

The black wire connected to the ceiling light switch is a switched live (which should be sleeved red to identify it as a live), not a neutral.

You would need another wire from the ceiling rose to the light switch, connected to the neutral loop in the ceiling rose, then connected through a choc bloc in the switch back box to the wall light neutral. The neutrals do not connect to the switch.

You could either run an additional cable from the ceiling rose to the light switch, or replace the existing 2 core &E with a 3 core & E.

You would also need to fit a wire strap from the ceiling light switch com to the wall light switch com.

If the cable was installed recently, I wonder where the builder found some red/black T&E

 

[DIYSparky]

Thanks for your replies. I've rechecked the cables and they definetely seem to run as I say and all are 2 core and earth.
From what everyone says then, it's impossible to connect the lights until a new cable is laid to bring power to them.
I'll wait for the builder to return and see what he says. In answer to the above the cables are Brown, Blue and Green/Yellow, I just drew them as red and black in the diagram.
Thanks everyone for your help, very much appreciated!!!
Cheers,
Aaron