Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


raydenl

99 posts

Master Geek


#201635 27-Aug-2016 17:05
Send private message

Hi

 

 

 

I'm attempting to change an outdoor light. I have done a few DIY jobs like this in the past, but this one is a bit trickier than those (for me) due to the number of other wires coming into the light fitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's the 3 twisted pairs (red, black and blue), the blue is earth (as it was bolted to the metal casing). I assume the two red untwisted wires are from the switch?

 

They were in a terminal block, but I was stupid and removed the wires before writing down how they were wired :-/

 

The new light has a two wire terminal block (N & L), and is plastic so nothing to connect the earth wires too.

 

Can anyone provide any assistance?

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 


Filter this topic showing only the reply marked as answer View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic
 1 | 2
  #1618390 27-Aug-2016 17:13
Send private message

is there another light/s off the same switch?

 

could always pull the switch off the wall and see what colour wires are there




raydenl

99 posts

Master Geek


  #1618392 27-Aug-2016 17:17
Send private message

No, the switch only controls this single outdoor light. However, if I disconnect the twisted pairs, then other lights in the house no longer work. But those lights are not controlled by this switch.


mentalinc
3225 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #1618394 27-Aug-2016 17:18
Send private message

raydenl:

 

No, the switch only controls this single outdoor light. However, if I disconnect the twisted pairs, then other lights in the house no longer work. But those lights are not controlled by this switch.

 

 

 

 

Sounds dodgy as.

 

Suggest you get someone to figure it out.





CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB:  Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

 

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX 




JeremyNzl
359 posts

Ultimate Geek


  #1618395 27-Aug-2016 17:27
Send private message

 

 

Unless you have a meter/voltstick at least you would be best to get a professional in. 

 

 

 

If the fuse is in the twisted pairs are live

 

 

 

I believe what you have is the black and red twisted pairs are phase/positive and neutral 

 

with the red pair running off to a switch.

 

 

 

If that is the scenario, one single red goes with the red twisted pair in an insulated terminal and the other single red end into the positive terminal of the light. 

 

 

 

The black twisted pair goes into the neutral terminal on the light.

 

If the light fitting is plastic the two earth terminals that are twisted need to be clamped together to pass the earth on to other fittings down the chain. 

 

 

 

Looking at the state of the red pair , the light that has been previously fitted has had a loose terminal or not suitable for the load.

 

those ends need bared and retwisted, but only if you can verify zero voltage.

 

 

 

If none of this makes sense or if you cannot be sure the red pair is connected to a switch, turn off the mains insulate all the bare wire and refit the cover and get a sparky.


tieke
674 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

  #1618398 27-Aug-2016 17:36
Send private message

raydenl:

 

... if I disconnect the twisted pairs, then other lights in the house no longer work. But those lights are not controlled by this switch.

 

 

That's pretty normal - you've got a circuit used for various lights and this one is obviously early in the run. The run to the next light comes off this one, and so on:disconnecting the twisted pairs means the lights on the rest of the drop no longer have power.


raydenl

99 posts

Master Geek


  #1618401 27-Aug-2016 17:39
Send private message

Yea, sounds like this:

 

Some electrical installations may have lighting circuits wired where the cables running from the switchboard are connected at the light fitting and then looped between light fittings (known in the trade as 3-plate wiring), this means that live wires are always present at the light fitting rather than at the switches.

 

 

 

Thanks for the help guys!


gregmcc
2147 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1618402 27-Aug-2016 17:44
Send private message

raydenl:

 

Hi

 

 

 

I'm attempting to change an outdoor light. I have done a few DIY jobs like this in the past, but this one is a bit trickier than those (for me) due to the number of other wires coming into the light fitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's the 3 twisted pairs (red, black and blue), the blue is earth (as it was bolted to the metal casing). I assume the two red untwisted wires are from the switch?

 

They were in a terminal block, but I was stupid and removed the wires before writing down how they were wired :-/

 

The new light has a two wire terminal block (N & L), and is plastic so nothing to connect the earth wires too.

 

Can anyone provide any assistance?

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

red, black and blue........um it looks green to me, this is the point where you step back and get an electrician


 
 
 

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.
Sideface
9349 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
DR
Lifetime subscriber

  #1618430 27-Aug-2016 18:53
Send private message

gregmcc:

 

<snip>  red, black and blue........um it looks green to me, this is the point where you step back and get an electrician

 

 

+1

 

To the OP - are you colour-blind? There are no blue wires in the image.

 

This is a very serious question - your life may depend upon the correct answer.

 

Red-green colour blindness and electrical wiring can be a lethal combination.

 

Get an electrician.





Sideface


  #1618431 27-Aug-2016 18:55
Send private message

definitely blue


andrewNZ
2487 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user


  #1618434 27-Aug-2016 19:31
Send private message

The green has done what it often does and faded to blue. This may be one of the reasons new earth wires are green/yellow.

Yes the light is 3 plated, so be careful. It means that the fitting always has live wires unless you turn off the circuit / mains.

gregmcc
2147 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1618441 27-Aug-2016 19:40
Send private message

Jase2985:

 

definitely blue

 

 

 

 

.....another person with colour blindness......look closer to where the wire emerges from the white TPS it's green there, and looking at this picture and using common sense (yes some people do lack common sense) it tells me that the wire is in fact green.


shk292
2853 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

  #1618448 27-Aug-2016 19:50
Send private message

Jase2985:

 

definitely blue

 

 

I'm worried if you're an ET


raydenl

99 posts

Master Geek


  #1618490 27-Aug-2016 21:09
Send private message

LOL it's blue people! trust me, not the badly taken photo with bad flash. I agree at some point it was probably green. Sheesh. Regardless it is the earth wire(s) - blue, green or pink with purple spots. As I've previously stated they were bolted to the metal chassis. Red is unmistakably red, black is unmistakably black.

 

 

 

(and yes I am aware sometimes blue is used as neutral and brown as live - but this is clearly not the case here)

 

 

 

Thank you to the people who have provided helpful comments. And yes, I may just get an electrician to do the work... maybe...


  #1618494 27-Aug-2016 21:16
Send private message

shk292:

 

Jase2985:

 

definitely blue

 

 

I'm worried if you're an ET

 

 

be worried all you like, but the OP has confirmed its blue, might have been green at some point in the past

 

My last medical showed no issues with colours

 

i would use a meter anyways


Rikkitic
Awrrr
18657 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

  #1618618 28-Aug-2016 10:03
Send private message

If you really know what you are doing, just do it. If you are uncertain, you should really get a professional. Deadly voltages are not something you should learn on.

 

Assuming you do know what you are doing but just don't have the right tools available, you can work out the right wiring with a test light. Get a light fitting, put a bulb in that you have just tested and know works, add wires for the connection. Cut the power to the house, double-checking that everything is off, then hook the test light to the red and black wires, leaving the two loose red wires unconnected. If the light comes on when you switch on the power, something is wrong and the two red wires do not do what you think. If it doesn't, connect the light to the two red wires and repeat the test. Again, it should not come on. The test is just to make sure there is no voltage difference between those wires. Finally, connect the light where you think it should go, connect the two red wires together, and test again. If the light comes on, those wires do indeed go to the switch. Make sure to cut the power between each test.

 

 

 

 





Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

 


 


 1 | 2
Filter this topic showing only the reply marked as answer View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.