I've just moved into a new house and am putting up new lights. In the bathroom there are 2 light fittings. When I took the ciling rose off the first one it has 2 hard wires from the ceiling attached. 2 live wires in one block, 2 earth in another block and 2 neutral in 2 separate blocks. On the new light fitting there are only three the live, neutral and eath block and an additional which says loop.
I've wired the new light up the same way as I took it from the ceiling rose but it doesn't work. Can anyone help on how to wire using a loop.

Onthemove, August 2009

Thanks guys for the help - this chick has just replaced all 18 light fittings in her new house!!
Couldn't have done it without you.

onthemove, September 2009

Cheers for that. Had a look at the celing rose diagram, it shows in, out and switch. There are only 2 hardwires coming from my ceiling and then the connection to the pendant.. Am I missing something?? The hall and kitchen are the exact same.

onthemove, August 2009

Take the switch plate (or pull cord) off and have a look at what wires you have in there. I'm guessing you have 2 or 3 neutrals in a bit of connector block.

If this is the case the circuit is effectively 'looped' at the switch so you don't need the loop terminal in the ceiling rose.
All the lives will go together, all the neutrals together, and all the earths together. Easy.

Adam, August 2009

Cheers for that. Had a look at the celing rose diagram, it shows in, out and switch. There are only 2 hardwires coming from my ceiling and then the connection to the pendant.. Am I missing something?? The hall and kitchen are the exact same.

onthemove, August 2009

Permanent Live does not connect to the light - it goes to the switch and comes back from the switch as "Switched Live" on a wire that often looks like a Neutral wire - it should be identified with a red or brown sleeve.

This picture should explain what you need to do - if it's too much then call a sparky...

http://www.flameport.com/electric/lighting_circuits/lighting_ceiling_rose_looped.cs4

Take care...

Peccavi, August 2009

No it's definately not working. When I took the ceiling rose down the 2 live wires were in the one block, the 2 neutrals were in the one block and the 2 earths were in separate blocks. These all came from the 2 hard wires in the ceiling. I then had the 3 wires from the pendant light they were all in separate blocks. The rose fitting has 7 blocks. The 3 in the middele say loop, but there was nothing in them!! I've taken the celing rose down in the hall where there are 2 lights and have the same scenario, and again the same in the kitchen. I've managed to fit 12 new lights so far and i'm sure this is not going to beat me !!!

Onthemove, August 2009

The loop provides a live feed to all the lights on that circuit, probably for the whole floor.
At the rose you would take the live down to a switch, then back to the outer terminal of the rose and on to the fitting.
The wire used for the switched live will be black or blue with an identifying sleeve (or bit of tape) around it. Remember it is a live and not a neutral.

If you've wired it the same as it was before was it not working before?

Adam, August 2009