I have 3 cable each with red and black wires and 1 ground. My fixed light socket has a Live and a Neutral slot as well as the ground screw. By putting the one of the reds in the Live and one of the blacks in the Neutral i can get the light to work but i can't turn it off and the light in the next room won't work at all. What do I do with the wires I have not connected to anything (2 red and 2 black)?

Johanna, November 2007

The lighting in your house is looped from lighting point to lighting point, i.e. room to room so you will have a live and neutral coming in (one cable) and a live and neutral going out (second cable to next room, if this is not connected to the first cable then the lights in other rooms will have no power). The third wire goes from the lighting point down to the switch(switch wires). Live in and live out connect together, neutral in and neutral out connect together (and to neutral of light fitting). Red to switch connect to live, and black to switch connect to live of light fitting. Connect all earths together. Hope this helps. Wiring diagrams for the above should explain more. http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/replacelightfitting.htm

Good luck

Baz

baz, November 2007

Sorry, just reread your question.

You will need to provide an extra connector block for your red wires as you indicate that there isn't one in your light fitting.

The two black wires and and the marked switch wire will connect into your light fitting.

Rich, November 2007

Three cables going into a light fitting: One will be a live feed, one will be the switch and the other will be the feed to the next light fitting, (the one that doesn't work at the moment.)

The cable you have connected already is the live feed to that light fitting. Find some way of identifying the other two.

All the red wires should be connected into the centre block.
The black wire which makes the light work at the moment should be connected into the neutral connector block along with the feed to the next light.

Having found the cable to the switch find some red sleeving or red tape and mark the black cable as live and connect it into the block on the other side of the light fitting. It should be on its own!

If this doesn't make sense then your best bet is to find someone to do it for you.

Hope this helps

Rich, November 2007