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Electrical

Loop in ceiling rose wiring

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.43 PM

I stupidly disconnected the old rose without noting where the wires went. There are two incoming flexes but one has 4 wires, the extra one is yellow. With that light disconnected the light in the room downstairs (added extension) is also dead so I assume the yellow is loop wire to add in that downstairs light. So my question is which block does the yellow go into? Live, Neutral or L? I bought a rose with sufficient capacity in the block same as the old one. I'm moderately capable but this one has me flummoxed. Why did I not note the original scheme? A senior moment? Probably with the old rose fused none of the upstairs lights worked and I wanted it off and the wires covered so I could have some lights. I have a decent multimeter, not a cheap one, will that do? What do I do with it? All wires disconnected, ends covered with insulation tape but live so testing should not be difficult. House deeds say the extension was unconsented, made legal post facto so diy is likely. I agree should have been done at switch but I suspect logistics on where the cables could run required the bodge. Easier to do from the rose than the switch. I am on Universal Credit and in no way can I afford an electrician. Which is why I asked on here instead. I have a good multimeter, what do I test with it and under what conditions? The extension was at least 10 years old when we bought the place 20 years ago so it has been perfectly fine for 30 years so don't quote a BS which postdated this build as that is not exactly helpful is it? I have looked at the switch (worst face plate screws in the house) and two red wires go into one terminal, the yellow wire goes into the other one. A blue wire is connected to a black wire with a connection block and the earth wires are earthed. So, the yellow wire is a switch wire, where does it go in the ceiling rose block? Since the red wires have to go into separate blocks in the ceiling rose the yellow wire will have to therefore go into the other block as there are only three blocks or either the switch will not work or it will short. A critique of that logic please. The switch wire is necessary because the ceiling rose acts as a junction box for the power to the kitchen light because firstly that is by far the simplest way to run it and secondly because being a flat roof it would be both non standard and inaccessible to put a junction box in the ceiling as you would if it was a pitched roof with access. So far from being a bodge it is in fact quite logical. @K-Electric, thankyou very much. I shall proceed on that basis as it accords with my assessment as well. Thanks for taking the time to respond. @K-Electric that's got it thank you very much. I had to wait as I had injured myself running etc. The light in question works and so does the kitchen light downstream of it. All systems go.

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4 Answers

Internal Repairs

Rating: 5 out of 5
Epsom
Tricky. There shouldn't be a yellow wire in the ceiling rose. It's 2 way lighting cable and should be at the switch. Sounds like DIY work. At least get a cheap multimeter if you want to attempt this job yourself, they don't cost much. Don't ever rely on the voltage detecting screwdrivers. Can't really attempt to solve this for you in 1 paragraph. With no knowledge and without a multimeter I would say you need an electrician on site.
Answered2 June 2019
5

K-Electric

Rating: 5 out of 5
Redhill
By the sounds of it, the yellow core (which should be sleaved brown or red in this instance) has been used as a switch line for the light. Therefore the yellow at the ceiling rose should be connected to the brown core of the pendant. The reds should be connected together separately as they are usually all permanent lives and then the blacks and blues together with the neutral core of the pendant. A 3core cable can be used for various different things and is not just a "bathroom cable". Sounds like they've used it to carry a neutral through to the switch, and as there there are 2 reds in the common of the switch, this would suggest the supply has been linked through to another point from here.
Answered5 June 2019
2

Buds Electrical

Rating: 5 out of 5
East Cowes
The wiring from a rose (3 core) would be used for extractor fans in bathrooms / toilets, as it's not a bathroom or toilet i would call an electrician to ensure compliance to BS7671:2018 requirements for electrical installations. DIY work again demonstrates the importance of calling an electrician. Ask for a quote and what the diagnosis is to put your mind at ease.
Answered3 June 2019
1

100%Electric (Renewables)

Rating: 5 out of 5
Alexandria
My advice is get an electrician to look at it. You might be on benefits but you might also end up killing yourself! If you are not qualified to touch electrics, then please don’t touch electrics. For starters, electrical tape on the ends does not make safe for live cables. Secondly, a cheap multimeter will not necessarily give you readings that you are looking for. You need to kill the power and do dead testing (continuity) to determine what wire is doing what and get them colour coded correctly with sleeving. Connections at the rose are the correct place to do it, that’s not a bodge. All the lights will be linked via the ceiling roses (hence why you lost lights in other room) and switch wires are used to connect live to switch and back again (hence 2 red wires in switch). Sounds like someone has used multi-core cable to make the job easier, which is fine so long as it’s correctly rated and correctly identified for each core (L/N/E). Please put this out as a job and mention that you are on benefits, you may just get someone decent who will do the job cheap. It’s not a difficult issue to put right with the correct tools and training. Hope you get it sorted 😊
Answered5 June 2019
0