UK Can someone help me wire a new light fitting into an old house with old wiring systems.

[JayLynch712]

I’m a junior electrician, fresh out of college. I did some minor electrical work for a friend buI tried to put up a new chandelier I came across:

• Two Line wires (RED), going into one connector block
• Two Neutrals (BLACK), separated into different connector blocks

- Two CPC wires, going into one connector block.
The chandelier has one line, one neutral and one earth.

I wired it up putting the neutral in one neutral block. When turned on the bulbs barely lit up.
When i switched the wire to the other neutral block it lit up greatly, however could not be turned off.
When i put both neutrals in one block, the light lit up, but tripped the fuse when I attempted to turn it off.
I know little about old domestic systems. Can someone please advise.

 

[westward10]

Is that how they were originally connected.

 

[Midwest]

Think you may have crossed wires.

 

[SJD]

The two black wires are likely NOT both neutrals!

The fact that they were in separate connectors blocks, rather than connected together should be a clue.

Perhaps one is switched live, and one neutral, which would be typical for a lot of domestic wiring.

 

[Moley]

The answer is in your own post. You need to wire it exactly as it was.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Research 3 plate wiring systems, there's plenty of info on the internet, youtube etc. This should help you understand what is going on in this situation.

 

[Midwest]

If there’s two cables, with one light and one switch. Theres only one way to connect the wires up @JayLynch712

 

[Pete999]

I’m a junior electrician, fresh out of college. I did some minor electrical work for a friend buI tried to put up a new chandelier I came across:

• Two Line wires (RED), going into one connector block
• Two Neutrals (BLACK), separated into different connector blocks

- Two CPC wires, going into one connector block.
The chandelier has one line, one neutral and one earth.

I wired it up putting the neutral in one neutral block. When turned on the bulbs barely lit up.
When i switched the wire to the other neutral block it lit up greatly, however could not be turned off.
When i put both neutrals in one block, the light lit up, but tripped the fuse when I attempted to turn it off.
I know little about old domestic systems. Can someone please advise.

Where do you live Mate?????

 

[Julie.]

I’m a junior electrician, fresh out of college. I did some minor electrical work for a friend buI tried to put up a new chandelier I came across:

• Two Line wires (RED), going into one connector block
• Two Neutrals (BLACK), separated into different connector blocks

- Two CPC wires, going into one connector block.
The chandelier has one line, one neutral and one earth.

I wired it up putting the neutral in one neutral block. When turned on the bulbs barely lit up.
When i switched the wire to the other neutral block it lit up greatly, however could not be turned off.
When i put both neutrals in one block, the light lit up, but tripped the fuse when I attempted to turn it off.
I know little about old domestic systems. Can someone please advise.

It's a three plate wiring system, one of the red/black/cpc cables is the live feed, the other is the switch.

Both lives (reds) together, to nothing else, the earths (cpc) together to all metal that can be touched when in use, the one switch wire (black) to the live of the lamp fitting, and the other neutral (black) wire to the neutral of the light fitting.

This isn't old, this is still current practice, only the colours have changed.

 

[Dave OCD]

I expect the black switch wire didn't have red sleeving to identify it and that won't have helped the OP, but why isn't this method being taught at college now- that's the impression I'm getting from this ?