Hi, I am in the process of fitting 2 seperate pendants in my lounge,both lights are controlled by sperate switches in the same room,i have taken down the one of the lights and i am looking at a loop system which i know nothing about ?. My new pendants have a circuit breaker on with 3 holes in each connecting a blue,brown and green and yellow wire which i preume is live,now i am expected to put the 3 corosponding wires in the oppoite 3 holes,i think ?.when i look at this loop system i see 2 sets of 3 holes,one set of the 3 is the loop and the other is Neutral, and 1 set of 2 is live,this has a black wire going into one of the 2 holes, i have a brown and a red wire going into the loop and a blue going into the neutral,then ihave a fat green and yellow live wire screwed into the plate.

Now what do i need to do ?. Any advice or instruction ?

Any help would be much appreciated and i will be very careful.

Thanks
Dan

Mr Daniel Doano, March 2009

I've just read the question, having come back from Pakistan where I got a belt from a "live" Earth.
I realise that you want to save money and don't want to pay the fees of a qualified electrician, but electricity can be lethal.
Not only are risking your own life, but those of other people in the house now and subsequently.
I'm sure that the new lights will look great, but please, please, save up and pay for an electrician to do the job.

Richard, March 2009

LOOK AT THIS PICTURE

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_images/ceilingrose/Untitled-1%20copy.jpg

It tells you ALL you need to know - re-read the first reply.

., March 2009

Thankyou, but the next problem i have is that i have to take down this loop plate to attach the new light, it has a 4" bar i have to screw to the ceiling to enable me to hang the light unfortunately if i take the plate away to replace it with the bar i'm going to have lots of wires left over! So if i'm right the four wires which have to go into the light i need to replace the three block for a four block and attach the neutral, earth and live and switch live wires to it and it should work? What do i do with the other wires?

Dan, March 2009

Now you can recognise the Difference between the wires

Live - Red or Brown

Neutral - Black or Blue

Earth - Green & Yellow (somtimes just Green)

You are a lot safer...

LOOK AT THIS PICTURE

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_images/ceilingrose/Untitled-1%20copy.jpg

It tells you ALL you need to know - re-read the first reply.

Continuing good luck...and do TAKE CARE...

Peccavi, March 2009

ok,now i got i t,earth is the green and yellow,live i brown and neutral is blue ye.whats next ?

Dan, March 2009

I was looking for a answer, im not a complete idiot im just having a mad few days!,i have had the time to go out and get these lights and to be honest i dont have the cash to go throwing at a sparky to do a 5 minute job so i thought one of these forums would be of some use, can you try and explain how its done as i am going to do it one way or another,if you cant tell me i'll ask on another forum until i do find out, i just need to know how to do it safely without blowing my hands off, i know,knock the power off then take the plate off then......

Dan, March 2009

This is a circuit breaker...
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07036.jpg

A circuit breaker is a switch - some switch off automatically if too much current flows - others are just manually operated. The little holes with screws to hold the wires are terminal strips.

The trouble is Dan your terminology is not good enough to properly form a question and this could be managed with patience BUT... you are unable to recognise the difference between Earth and Live which is a pretty lethal condition for somebody doing their own wiring.

Remember Belloc's Lord Finchley...

Lord Finchley tried to mend the Electric Light
Himself. It struck him dead: And serve him right!
It is the business of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan.

Peccavi, March 2009

So do i need a 4 block circuit breaker to start with then ?.

dan, March 2009

I have just re-read your question and something frightened me...

"and green and yellow wire which i preume is live"

I urge you to stop work immediately and engage the services of a qualified electrician.

Peccavi, March 2009

This picture shows the usual arrangement in the UK for wiring a ceiling rose...

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_images/ceilingrose/Untitled-1%20copy.jpg

You need to have four separate terminals to connect the various wires properly.

TURN THE POWER OFF

The quantity of wires you will have may vary but there's usually a power cable coming in - a cable that runs to and from the light switch - a power cable to the next ceiling rose in the house. As well as this there will be wires that attach the light fitting.

All the Earth wires connect together and to nothing else

All the Live wires (usually Red) connect together and to NOTHING ELSE not even the light!

One of the Black wires may look like a Neutral but it isn't - it's the return from the Light Switch and it's called Switched Live. It's special, scary and potentially dangerous because it's live when the switch is on and it's easy to confuse it as being a Neutral. For this reason it should have an identifying Red or Brown sleeve on it to show that it's Switched Live. This is the wire that delivers power to the light and lets you turn it on and off.

Once you've identified Switched Live, connect it to its own terminal - You will connect the Brown wire of the light to this wire (terminal strip) - just the two of them together and nothing else.

You will just be left with Neutral wires probably 2 Black ones and a Blue one that goes to the Light - connect them to the fourth and last treminal strip.

If you have trouble identifying Switched Live nip out and buy a Mains Tester Screwdriver with a Neon in the handle - jolly useful and very cheap - get one anyway.

Restore the power and check your work - the light should go on and off as you operate the switch.

Now work on the second light.

Good luck...Take care...

Peccavi, March 2009