I made the mistake of taking the wireing out of a cieling rose that is connected to another light. i have managed to get the light to switch on and off but now the second light just stays on the whole time. any advice would be much appreciated i'm completly useless when it come to things like this

David D, January 2009

Interesting.
If you think about it David, if both lights really are connected together (and wired in parallel), then what you describe is not really possible, assuming you have only interfered with the ceiling rose and not the switch as well. If both lights are connected together one can't be on all of the time and the other switch on and off independently.

J, January 2009

There should be 3 sections on the ceiling rose - 2 sections with 3 terminals and the other section with 2 terminals.

Switch off the power at the consumer unit!

Take one of the red wires out of it's terminal and wrap some electrical tape around it to make sure it can't touch anything.

Turn the power on and have a look at what comes on - ideally you want the second light not to come on at all.
Turn the power off again and try taking out a different wire until you get this.
When you have found the live wire which controls the other light put this in the section of the rose which has 2 compartments, and should already have 2 wires going into it - one coming from the switch (should be a black wire with a red sleeve on it) and the live going off to the first light, which is currently working.

Switch the power back on and everything should work properly (he says!)

Adam, January 2009

they are both controlled by the same switch.

as far as my usless attempt i have managed other electrical jobs but this is the first time i've had to do this and I accept that I may have to contact an electritian but if if i can get it to work without then all the better.

David D, January 2009

Are both lights controlled by the same switch (i.e. are both meant to come on together) or have you got 2 -way switching - i.e. can the lights be controlled from 2 locations.

If you are as useless as you say you are (and who are we to doubt your own self-assessment), maybe you shouldn't mess with this at all and get a qualified electrician.

J, January 2009