fitting new bathroom lighting

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gailmck

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Please help me before I fling myself out of the window , for 6 * hours i have been trying to fit the new one in, here is the situation.

Existing ceiling rose has two red live wires, one black with red tape(used as the loop) one black neutral, and here is where the problem lies- 4 earth wires, in total they have 13 wires through them. I simply cant fit them in to the new fitting.

They are breaking etc etc etc, now light is getting low and i have bare wires sticking out of my ceiling.

And and smart a**** who say leave the real jobs to the men are right, I wish I had never started it lol

At least I can laugh now, earlier I got so frustrated I screamed and my 4 yr old ran out the house crying- awwwww, hence why I need help

 
I did it!!!!!!!!!!, I put all the wires back in the original rose with cover, chiselled a hole out the plaster in the roof then recessed it then put the original wire(blue\brown) into the new one and hey presto it works.

I am so proud of myself- will it blow up tho eventually?

Am I being clever or just doing something that was basic all along lol?

 
for some decorative lights, its easier to wire the connection in a choc box and push into ceiling void and take a single cable from that to the light

 
for some decorative lights, its easier to wire the connection in a choc box and push into ceiling void and take a single cable from that to the light
I changed our kitchen light fitting. Previous fitting was plastic and had no earth. It had just been cut off, so I stripped back in the ceiling void and ran an earth terminal from a terminal strip in a chock box.

Though I was being clever ;)

 
I did it!!!!!!!!!!, I put all the wires back in the original rose with cover, chiselled a hole out the plaster in the roof then recessed it then put the original wire(blue\brown) into the new one and hey presto it works.I am so proud of myself- will it blow up tho eventually?

Am I being clever or just doing something that was basic all along lol?
the only problem is your new fitting has no earth to it

 
It turns out I wasnt so clever after all- I took out the bits in the ceiling that the new lights needed to grip to, am trying silicone at the moment.

And whats the bets I will try to do something I have no knowledge of in the future???

Definitely !

 
I did it!!!!!!!!!!, I put all the wires back in the original rose with cover, chiselled a hole out the plaster in the roof then recessed it then put the original wire(blue\brown) into the new one and hey presto it works.I am so proud of myself- will it blow up tho eventually?

Am I being clever or just doing something that was basic all along lol?
Your our kind of girl, unafraid to ask for help, and unafraid to have a go. ROTFWL

I always remember wiring a control panel with what must have been around 200 cables coming in, the plasterer who saw me working on it just thought I was some kind of magician, to me it was another day at work.

It only gets complicated if you let it, everything can be sorted if you think logicaly and take it step by step.

Well done on fixing it.

Now make sure its earthed B-)

 
so do i have to go in my loft and find a terminal thingy to run a new wire from?

All of my electricity things are downstairs in a box with lots of trip switches, where would access a terminal to earth it?

 
so do i have to go in my loft and find a terminal thingy to run a new wire from?All of my electricity things are downstairs in a box with lots of trip switches, where would access a terminal to earth it?
Most fancy decorative light fittings have terminal blocks that are only big enough for a single conductor to be terminated successfully and securely.

99.9% of the time you need to box/join/connect the existing supply/loop/switch cables into an appropriate termination then just bring a single three core cable into the light fitting itself.

there are many types of suitable terminations..

choc boxes,

Wago (or similar brands)

traditional round J/box

etc..

etc..

if you don't know what any of these are...

just say...

sorry guys/gals I am not sure what you are talking about..

and someone (my bet is on Apache) will give you a very good link!

;) :D :)

most important....

DON'T HAVE ANY LOOSE CONNECTIONS!!!!

AND KEEP YOUR EARTHS CONNECTED!

loose joints cause nasty overheating and melting problems! :( :_|

HTH.

 
the ceiling rose was earthed, can i run a wire from that to the new fitting to earth that too? or should it not be earthed from the previous fitting?

Also basic question- I know all wires have different colours but are they all the same wires just colour coded so that everyone knows where they go?

sorry I am trying to be a decorator, joiner, gardener, tiler, electrician all at once in our new place- but I will bloody do it!! Might be old and wrinkly by then but what the hay :)

 
the ceiling rose was earthed, can i run a wire from that to the new fitting to earth that too? or should it not be earthed from the previous fitting?
So long as it has an earth it doesn't matter where from!

Also basic question- I know all wires have different colours but are they all the same wires just colour coded so that everyone knows where they go?
The only reason wires are colour coded is so you know which conductor you are dealing with each end of the cable! There are conventions but they are not always followed and to be safe assume they are wrong! Often you can work out where they go. Sometimes electricians change 1 colour for another using coloured sleeving or tags of insulating tape (eg a switched live).

sorry I am trying to be a decorator, joiner, gardener, tiler, electrician all at once in our new place- but I will bloody do it!! Might be old and wrinkly by then but what the hay :)
The ground is too wet to make hay................

:coat

 
that was the initial problem andy, there were 4 earth cables with a total of 13 wires coming out of them- which one do i choose?

 
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