Wiring confusion (self inflicted)
#1
02-02-17, 11:30 PM
Wiring confusion (self inflicted)
Hi I got myself into a puddle. I have light switches controlling two lights one of which (not theone shown) did not work. To cut the story short I now have five wires and cannot reconstruct the original status. The rhs blue wire is live. The lhs brown wire goes to the mains. Of the two other wires one goes to the switch and one to the other light thru the wall. I remember the blue wire was connected to one of the brown wires but when i try it the breaker goes. The lhs brown wire was linked to one of the other brown wires i think. I would appreciate some help!
Thank you
Anthony
Thank you
Anthony
Last edited by PJmax; 02-03-17 at 11:55 AM. Reason: removed dup and modified pic
#2
02-03-17, 03:29 AM
Anthony, welcome to the forums! You don't show your location on your profile, but I gather it is not in North America. The wiring methods shown are definitely not methods we use here, as there is no junction box that I can see, and it is obviously 230 volts.
#3
02-03-17, 12:07 PM
Group Moderator
Since you should be following the EUR color codes.... brown and black is hot and blue is neutral.
I labeled your picture to make things easier. It looks the wiring on the right (3wires) is original and comes from the switch and the wiring on the left was installed later to a second light.
Is that correct ?
So you have five wires and I labeled them:
A=blue=
B=brown=
C=blue=
D=brown=
E=black=
I labeled your picture to make things easier. It looks the wiring on the right (3wires) is original and comes from the switch and the wiring on the left was installed later to a second light.
Is that correct ?
So you have five wires and I labeled them:
A=blue=
B=brown=
C=blue=
D=brown=
E=black=
#4
02-04-17, 10:07 AM
Thanks for your comments gentlemen. As you say it is 240v.
It looks to me that both sets of wires are original. The wiring on the right goes at least through the wall to the other side and i now have that light working, but not the one shown, with the configuration shown.
It looks to me that both sets of wires are original. The wiring on the right goes at least through the wall to the other side and i now have that light working, but not the one shown, with the configuration shown.
#5
02-04-17, 10:16 AM
Group Moderator
Without us knowing which wires are what we'd be guessing.
If you have two switches controlling that light in the picture and the one in the other room.... you'd need to have two switched hot wires there plus the neutral.
If you have two switches controlling that light in the picture and the one in the other room.... you'd need to have two switched hot wires there plus the neutral.
#7
02-04-17, 02:08 PM
Group Moderator
That doesn't tell me anything.... plus there are two blue wires.
Take the switches apart and see what color wiring is on them.
If I was asked to guess I'd say D and E are two switched hot wires coming up to the lights.
That would make C the neutral.
You could make up a simple checker wit your light there. Put two pieces of wire on your light. Touch one to a know ground. Touch the other to A,B,C,D,E and tell us which one is hot.
Take the switches apart and see what color wiring is on them.
If I was asked to guess I'd say D and E are two switched hot wires coming up to the lights.
That would make C the neutral.
You could make up a simple checker wit your light there. Put two pieces of wire on your light. Touch one to a know ground. Touch the other to A,B,C,D,E and tell us which one is hot.
#8
02-05-17, 02:13 AM
Thanks. I did the exercise and found no current from a b or c. d and e were indeed live and when i opened the switch boxes i found the same type of cabling. However when i connected a light across c and either d or e the breaker went. Nothing happened when i connected d with a and looking again at the wiring direction i think that a and b were added later and lead to the light on the other side of the wall.
I connected d to b and then ran the light from a to c and it flickered on and off
I connected d to b and then ran the light from a to c and it flickered on and off
Last edited by Tony1234; 02-05-17 at 02:49 AM.
#9
02-09-17, 05:27 AM
Hi again just to say thank you for the help from this forum. I haven't quite sorted the problem probably due to damage to the switches from my work, but you definitely gave me the information I was missing to understand what was going on and how to approach the problem.
best,
Anthony
best,
Anthony
