Wiring a wall light. Er?

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I bought some new wall lights for my bedroom to replace the broken and crappy ones the previous owner had installed. I thought it would be just a simple job of replacing what was already there. . . But I have questions.

Has someone just cut off the earth wires???

Those little stubs ring alarm bells.

Next question.
Why are there two sets of wires? Shouldn't it just be one black and one red?

Currently the two reds (live right?) And the two blacks connect like this.

My new ikea light also has two holes in so I can copy this. The ikea instructions also don't mention an earth at all. . . . This is the ikea light connection.. . .


Boom!

 

[a_chap]

No offence intended, but if you're asking questions like that, you really ought to get a qualified electrician to do the job.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

How to understand lighting circuits | Lighting, Electrical & Security | B&Q

Lighting circuits are wired in two different ways, using either junction-boxes or loop-in ceiling roses. Find out more about electrical circuits with our guide.

www.diy.com

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Wiring a Simple Lighting Circuit | SparkyFacts.co.uk

Wring a simple lighting circuit with a light pendant and a switch.

www.sparkyfacts.co.uk

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

If it still doesn’t make sense after reading all the above, pay for a qualified electrician.

 

[Storm Fox]

1. get an election in.
Yes the earth has been cut. From the light you have it shouldn't need an earth. Ut Double Isolated I think but the 2 earths should be linked.
Do you have more than 1 light operated. By the switch? Do you have multiple switches that control the lights?
I think the lights are daisychained together with just live and neutral.

Seeing the original installer fucked up the very basic task of ensuring a complete earth path; who knows what else they have done there.
Sorry but please get and electrician out for this.

 

[MickiQ]

No offence intended, but if you're asking questions like that, you really ought to get a qualified electrician to do the job.

^^ This ^^

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

1. get an election in.
Yes the earth has been cut. From the light you have it shouldn't need an earth. Ut Double Isolated I think but the 2 earths should be linked.
Do you have more than 1 light operated. By the switch? Do you have multiple switches that control the lights?
I think the lights are daisychained together with just live and neutral.

Seeing the original installer fucked up the very basic task of ensuring a complete earth path; who knows what else they have done there.
Sorry but please get and electrician out for this.

OK well this is exactly what I thought. I'm a bit worried that this opens up a whole can of worms (there are another set of wall lights on the other side of the room, no celing rose and THREE sets of light switches, one of which is a three way in itself) I'm also worried it's going to cost me a lot at a time when I don't have a lot. I've always done electrics myself, but this is the first time I have opened something up and it hasn't been something I am 100% sure of.

 

[8ball]

1. get an election in.

I hate the Tories as much as the next man, but they’re not going to bring it forward because of a light fitting.

 

[WouldBe]

I hate the Tories as much as the next man, but they’re not going to bring it forward because of a light fitting.

Might do if you wire them up to it.

 

[two sheds]

OK well this is exactly what I thought. I'm a bit worried that this opens up a whole can of worms (there are another set of wall lights on the other side of the room, no celing rose and THREE sets of light switches, one of which is a three way in itself) I'm also worried it's going to cost me a lot at a time when I don't have a lot. I've always done electrics myself, but this is the first time I have opened something up and it hasn't been something I am 100% sure of.

I once tried to work out how a three way switch worked from first principles and eventually decided you'd need a PHD in Advanced Logic.

 

[8ball]

I once tried to work out how a three way switch worked from first principles and eventually decided you'd need a PHD in Advanced Logic.

On.
Off.
Quantum superposition.

 

[moochedit]

Don't you have to get the work "certified" by law or something?

Better to leave it to a qualified person.

 

[Storm Fox]

OK well this is exactly what I thought. I'm a bit worried that this opens up a whole can of worms (there are another set of wall lights on the other side of the room, no celing rose and THREE sets of light switches, one of which is a three way in itself) I'm also worried it's going to cost me a lot at a time when I don't have a lot. I've always done electrics myself, but this is the first time I have opened something up and it hasn't been something I am 100% sure of.

1. get an election in.
Yes the earth has been cut. From the light you have it shouldn't need an earth. Ut Double Isolated I think but the 2 earths should be linked.
Do you have more than 1 light operated. By the switch? Do you have multiple switches that control the lights?
I think the lights are daisychained together with just live and neutral.

Seeing the original installer fucked up the very basic task of ensuring a complete earth path; who knows what else they have done there.
Sorry but please get and electrician out for this.

Sorry about the quality of this post. I was typing on a phone. I am usually on a computer. Plus I didn't have my reading glasses on, so I couldn't see what I was typing that well. But I didn't want ATOMIC SUPLEX to join the dessiato club of domestic mishaps. Although a chainsaw and a leaf blower may help with this project.

 

[WouldBe]

Don't you have to get the work "certified" by law or something?

Better to leave it to a qualified person.

Only if you want to sell the house.

 

[gentlegreen]

In the first instance just replace like with like.

The cut off earths are a bit iffy - on a ring main it simply adds redundancy - on a parallel string of lights it might rob the next light of an earth it actually needs - I think sometimes the earth wire might be used to "borrow a neutral" ... but chances are they cut it off at the next junction too ...

I suppose I might be more careful to do work on any metal-cased lighting elsewhere in the room - but that is unlikely to be an issue...

 

[two sheds]

Only if you want to sell the house.

and you own the house, I think

 

[WouldBe]

and you own the house, I think

Could be in deep shit if you try to sell someone else's house.

 

[DownwardDog]

Ignore all this bourgeois get-an-electrician shit.

There is (or was at some point) two switches for the light. Just connect the new one like the old one. Bond the earths if you can be arsed, it probably doesn't make any difference.

 

[a_chap]

Ignore all this bourgeois get-an-electrician shit.

There is (or was at some point) two switches for the light. Just connect the new one like the old one. Bond the earths if you can be arsed, it probably doesn't make any difference.

"probably"

 

[WouldBe]

Ignore all this bourgeois get-an-electrician shit.

There is (or was at some point) two switches for the light. Just connect the new one like the old one. Bond the earths if you can be arsed, it probably doesn't make any difference.

Although the light doesn't need an earth the earth is also there to protect the cable and you it you happened to drill or nail into it and the cable to the second light isn't protected.

 

[MickiQ]

I suspect "What could possibly go wrong?" forms the basis of many last words.