Minor Lighting Wiring Strangeness

[Turtle Shed]

Hello all.

Well I'm confused... I wanted to move a ceiling light (working just fine) so I took the wires out of the rose (having switched off at the mains of course), took it off of the ceiling and then began to relocate.

A simple enough job but then I discovered that the wire labeled as the switched live came from the junction box on the ringmain, and the wire going to the switch was just standard black and red.

The supposed/labeled switched live went to one side of the bulb, as expected. I can't remember what went to the other side of the bulb, but it couldn't have been the other wire in the pair from the junction box as it isn't long enough.

Note that there were only two cables going to the rose, and my photo shows them:



It was working, I'd like to make it work again, I have tested/traced the wire to the switch. I have a multimeter to hand.

I'm just very confused. Thanks for any help :-)

[Belle427]

I would say the left hand cable came from the switch as the black is sleeved.
Right hand cable would then be the live and neutral feed.

[Turtle Shed]

Belle427 said:

I would say the left hand cable came from the switch as the black is sleeved.
Right hand cable would then be the live and neutral feed.

Well yes, that's what I assumed too, thanks, but I can test that the right cable goes to the switch, and the direction in which the cables head under the floorboards pretty much confirms this.

My guess is that it has been wired/labeled wrongly, but in such a way that it (and all other lights) still work.

[119]

Two reds together.

Black with the red sleeve is to light live and black to neutral of light fitting.

Just did this other day!

[Panamax]

119 said:

Black with the red sleeve is to light live and black to neutral of light fitting.

The one to watch out for is the black wire from switch to fitting will be "live" and might or might not have a red sleeve. This may appear to make no sense but it's the way it is. A rudimentary mains tester is your friend in these matters.

[119]

Panamax said:

119 said:

Black with the red sleeve is to light live and black to neutral of light fitting.

The one to watch out for is the black wire from switch to fitting will be "live" and might or might not have a red sleeve. This may appear to make no sense but it's the way it is. A rudimentary mains tester is your friend in these matters.

Yes but his picture is questioning the red wire which goes together with the other red wire.

[speedyman]

Connect both reds only, turn on mains, then test which black is live when light switch is on that will tell you which is the switched live. Then tape that black wire with red tape and leave the other black without tape as it's the neutral.

[Turtle Shed]

speedyman said:

Connect both reds only, turn on mains, then test which black is live when light switch is on that will tell you which is the switched live. Then tape that black wire with red tape and leave the other black without tape as it's the neutral.

Thanks, will do that. I'm 99.9% sure that will prove incorrect labelling and solve the problem.