Light switch not working. Light permanently on

[newton1]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I have installed a new light and now it stays permanently on. I have removed the switch and even if the cables are seperated the light remains on. I have used a continuity tester and one of the cables leads to the junction but the other does not. It is old wiring and there are green red and black wires coming from the ceiling into the junction. Any ideas?

 

[telectrix]

a simple job for an electrician. each cable needs identifying and then the connections made correctly. time to open your wallet. i'm afraid.but should not cost more than about £50, if you post your location, one of us may be close.

 

[Pete999]

a simple job for an electrician. each cable needs identifying and then the connections made correctly. time to open your wallet. i'm afraid.but should not cost more than about £50, if you post your location, one of us may be close.

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Spoon]

Hi OP.
Any chance of posting some pics of the light and the wiring that you did. Of course while making sure it is electrically safe to do so.
Why remove the switch if you haven't touched the switch wiring.

 

[snowhead]

Why did you touch it?
Did it work before you touched it?
Have you disturbed, touched altered anything other than the light and switch?

As post 2, it's an easy fix when onsite, but not via the internet.
It's suffering a common mistake made by less experienced persons.

 

[Zdb]

Sounds like you've connected your unswitched lives with your switched live.

 

[littlespark]

Nice diagram, but the blue on the right marked as "Switch Terminal(Live)" should have brown sleeving over it

 

[Deleted member 109422]

Well, once Brexit is complete I think the "Switch Terminal(Live)" should have red sleeving over it.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Well, once Brexit is complete I think the "Switch Terminal(Live)" should have red sleeving over it.

Can you get Red, white and blue sleeving?

 

[littlespark]

I've changed my mind. It's not a nice diagram.

There's the aforementioned blue that should have some identifying sleeving on it (brown, or red, or grey. anything but blue or g/y)

The cables should have conductors coming out in the order of brown, g/y, then blue... or reverse of that. The g/y shouldn't be at the edge of a cable. (unless these lights are wired in white flex)

The brown going down the flex to the light lampholder should be connected to the outermost terminal.

 

[telectrix]

I've changed my mind. It's not a nice diagram.

There's the aforementioned blue that should have some identifying sleeving on it (brown, or red, or grey. anything but blue or g/y)

The cables should have conductors coming out in the order of brown, g/y, then blue... or reverse of that. The g/y shouldn't be at the edge of a cable. (unless these lights are wired in white flex)

The brown going down the flex to the light lampholder should be connected to the outermost terminal.

ooooh, icky picky. it's a diagram, not a photo. .

 

[Des 56]

ooooh, icky picky. it's a diagram, not a photo. .

The cables should enter from the rear
The ceiling rose cover looks as if its just a ring of plastic,no centre and no thread to screw it on to the base(after those cables are shifted

 

[Timbo]

Too late, there's no screws to release the cables!

 

[Retroelectric]

And you are gonna have to gripfill it to the ceiling.

 

[Intoelectrics]

Sounds like you've connected your unswitched lives with your switched live.

It sounds like it yes, but I wouldn't advise the OP to try and correct it him/herself. Assuming the conductors aren't marked or sleeved the switch wire needs to be correctly identified which (unless obvious) will require testing, safely.
In my experience people with limited knowledge of electrics wrongly assume the brown is live and the blue is neutral in all cases.
A competent electrician will (assuming all is ok with the existing wiring) sort this out in a few minutes and charge a nominal fee.

 

[CACJL]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I have installed a new light and now it stays permanently on. I have removed the switch and even if the cables are seperated the light remains on. I have used a continuity tester and one of the cables leads to the junction but the other does not. It is old wiring and there are green red and black wires coming from the ceiling into the junction. Any ideas?

You are out of your depth with this simple problem, stay away from electrics and get some in who knows what they are doing.