Have Spent All Day Putting Up New Central Light. It Wont Switch Off ! Help Me Please

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paul d brown

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Hi all. I have installed a new ceiling light today but it will not go off when i use the switch. When i removed the old light i was faced with 3 blue wires 4 brown wires and 4 yel/green wires. The new light had one of each. So i used a connection block to attach the 3 wires on new light to the corrresponding colours that were sticking out of ceiling. Bit of a tight squeeze but got there. I turned power at junction box back on and the new light went on but it wont go off using wall switch. What have i done wrong ? I just need to know what colour goes where and i will always turn house power off each time i go near the wires. Hat off to all electricians !

 
Boy oh boy do people never learn.

Some of your wires will have been linked together. What you should have done is made a note of HOW it was wired to the old one. The trouble is there are several ways of wiring lighting circuits so there is no simple "this wire to that" solution without knowing more.

What was the old fitting, a standard ceiling rose?  Were some of the brown wires linked together in the middle terminal of the ceiling rose for instance?

To try and help you, tell us what CABLES you have, not "wires"

I.e you might have three cables each with a blue brown and earth for instance. 

And if any of the blue or brown wires also have a bit of tape or sleeving on them?

 
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why do people just rip the existing out then bodge the wires in where they think they go, even though they dont have a clue

no-one here can tell you what goes where. if you took a photo of the existing before you pulled it apart then we could, but then you would need to mark the cables to remember which is which. additionally, you probably need a new switch to go with the new light, its probably been destroyed by incorrect wiring...

 
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Ok, 

So you have 4 brown wires, ate two of them part of the same cable,?

If so, take ONE if those browns and connect it to the light, the other 3 brown wires connect to each other in a connector block, do NOT connect these 3 wires to the light.

Remember, turn the power OFF first. 

 
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