Please help. I am trying to fit a new light into a house with old wiring.My new light just has a connection block with 1 blue wire and 1 brown wire. When I removed the old light there are 5 wires coming from the ceiling. 1 black and 1 red coming from one lead and 1 black and 1 red coming from the other. Any ideas how I wire this up. Many thanks.
Cannot tell you..you have accounted for only 4 wires in that ceiling...and you will need a voltmeter to do the job. The wiring you talk about is impossible unless there is another switched light/recepticle on this circuit. Goldwing
I got 2 red 2 black and 2 copper wire been trying to get it to work but the switch button keep turning the electric off new wire brown and blue need help
before to many Americans jump in - I have to say the colours you are quoting make me sure you are in the UK - so :- If there are only 4 wires (not 5 as you say at one point) then join the two reds together in a connector block and tape that up completely with insulating tape and make sure it is safe somewhere - many light fittings have an additional connection just for this purpose. Now connect the blue from the light to one black and the brown to the other black wire (it does not really matter which to which although purists may like you to find the true live for the brown) If however there are 5 wires you need to do a bit more investigation . EDIT - the two earth wires should be securely joined together to make sure that earth continuity is maintained throughout the rest of the house - then tape them up - preferably with green and yellow tape but black will do and tuck them back up into the ceiling as far away from the two reds as you can manage. ....
You have very old wiring if you only have 2 pairs of black and red wires in the ceiling. A modern installation will contain a third pair and also have green/yellow (or bare copper) earth conductors too. The following instructions will make your light work but you should get your wiring checked as soon as possible to bring it up to modern safety standards. One of the cables in the ceiling is carrying your supply current from the fuse box, the other is coming from the switch. You must connect the red wires together with a secure plastic joint block. This will send Live current down to the switch. Connect one of the blacks to the blue wire in the light fitting. This will make the Neutral connection to the light. Connect the other black to the brown wire of the light fitting. This will be the Live connection from the switch. If you have any green and green/yellow wires then you must connect these together because they are the earths. Make absolutely sure that you thoroughly insulate your joint blocks with electricians tape before you secure the fitting to the ceiling.
