The are some missing light fittings in my new house and I want to install simple pendants for the time being.

There are only three wires coming out of the ceiling, red, black and earth. Is the black automatically the switch live and so should be connected to L or is it still neutral?

So is it red to L and black to N or the other way round?

Scott, July 2009

ES stands for Edison Screw - screw in type and Adam as always is absolutely correct and I am a liability...

Thanks for the reminder Adam...

P, July 2009

If they are ES pendants the middle terminal should be live and the outer screw neutral.

Adam, July 2009

Thank you Peccavi, that's what my basic physics made me think but I wasn't sure.

First one done and working fine.

Scott, July 2009

In one way the answer to your question is important but in another way you don't need to ask it...

The light bulb really doesn't care wich terminal is Live and which Neutral - apart from the Earth wire you have two wires coming from the ceiling and two wires on the pendant to connect to them - so just connect up any way that takes your fancy.

If the switch turns the light on and off then one of your ceiling wires is switched live and there's no problem for the time being - if the switch has no effect on the lamp then neither is switched live and you then have a problem to solve.

If the light fails to come on at all and the bulb is known good then it's probably best to call Mr Sparky.

Good luck... take care...

Peccavi, July 2009