Hi

I want to replace a plastic ceiling rose with a stainless light fitting, which must be earthed.

The existing fitting has three wires. A red one and two with no visible colours. The red is connected to the brown wire to the bulb, the other two to the blue.

I've spent ages Googling this arrangement but can't find any postings about this arrangement. Most people have 4, 5, 6 or even more wires.

Please help!

Many thanks

Darren

Darren, February 2010

By "no visible colours" do you mean black?
Was the plastic ceiling rose held in place with two M4 machine screws?

If you have the wiring arrangement I'm thinking of there should be a threaded hole in the steel box which the wires come out into which you can use as an earthing point using a short (10mm or so) machine screw, ring crimp and short (100mm or so) length of 1mm or 1.5mm earth wire, which you could probably get from an extension lead.

If you're not going to run an earth loop test (I am assuming you don't have the correct tester) it may be safer to draw a new earth lead back to the consumer unit using a draw wire, which should cost under a tenner. (make sure you isolate the board using the main switch). Depending on how far the light is from the consumer unit this could be a time consuming process.

*Remember I haven't personally seen any of this so my advice can't be taken as definitive*

I don't like saying this on a DIY forum but unless you feel competent to a fairly advanced level i would suggest calling in an electrician who also does commercial and industrial work.

Adam, February 2010

Sounds like you have no earth. If thats the case you can't connect a metal light fitting. Even if the lighting circuit is fitted with a 30ma RCD you can only fit plastic insulated accesories. If the house was wired before the early seventies chances are there is no earth wire in the system. You should get a Periodic inspection report carried out by an NICEIC approved company and get ready to dig deep for a rewire. Sorry :(

Tony, February 2010

You need four terminals at the ceiling... If you're doing away with the ceiling rose then you need to arrange for 4 terminals using a 4 way Junction box or a 4 block Terminal strip.

1) Earth
2) Permanent Live (does not connect to the light)
3) Neutral
4) Switched Live (does connect to the light)

The Brown / Blue of the new light connect to Switched Live & Neutral respectively

This link has pictures old UK and new Euro colours

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

Good luck...Take care...

Peccavi, February 2010