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Hi.....I'm new to the forum so go easy please :)

I had to get my ceiling replastered and my pendant light was removed, however there's no colour coding other than the earth. I've a single wire and 2 others tied together so I'm not sure what's neutral and what's live. I've stripped back some of the wires but still no colour coding. Is there anyway to check what's what before I attempt to fit the light?

Thanks
A picture would help
 
Silly question, but they're always the best. Did it come with any instructions?
Yeah, but they were binned. The light was already up and had to be taken down, the plasterer who took it down didn't leave me anything to work with unfortunately
 
The 2 cables together have a white line running along them, I fitted one the other day and the white line was the neutral, can't guarantee it is the same here but I would think it was likely. Although in extra low voltage cable power supplies it seems the the white line is the positive. I would call their technical line they will tell you easy enough.
 
A continuity tester would be able to identify the wiring for you.

It may be possible with much effort to physically trace the wires if you were to undo the nut at the base of the light fitting and separate the two halves but this could lead to there being lots of bits of light fitting all over the place and tracing wires through the flex is very hard.

The wires do show in the pictures that there is a grey stripe on at least one of the wires, though it may be on all of them, and so this might help tracing.

The wires should be one line, one neutral and one earth, the polarity of line and neutral will not matter on a G9 lamp but the earth identification is crucial to avoid an electric shock.

Even if you have a bulb and a battery with bits of wire to make a circuit you can use this on the wires (when disconnected from the mains supply) of the light fitting to trace them. The G9 lamp holder will have two contacts, one to either edge of the slot, make sure you are not shorting across the contacts and getting false readings.

One wire should go to one side of the lampholder, one wire to the other side of the lamp holder and the earth wire to the metal casing of the light fitting (similarly to the green wire you have already).

View attachment 35010
 
Long shot but you don't have another identical fitting that's still connected by any chance?
 
If I need to I will but the light is in the dining room where I'm having Christmas dinner and I'm away from home from tomorrow until Christmas day so I can't get someone in in between.

Get one of these;
Pendant light with no colour coded wires {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net

And a BC light bulb (that's what Screwfix call 'em). Make sure you carry out Safe Isolation. Or just put a few candles on the table (candles should not be left home alone) or put the Xmas tree lights on.

Get someone in after Xmas to put your fancy light up. Think that's the best advice, if you want to see in the New Year :)
 
Yeah, but they were binned. The light was already up and had to be taken down, the plasterer who took it down didn't leave me anything to work with unfortunately

This is what Pagazzi sent me through, not particularly helpful as it also states the wiring of the actual the light may be different than in the diagram

View attachment 35018
 
A continuity tester would be able to identify the wiring for you.

It may be possible with much effort to physically trace the wires if you were to undo the nut at the base of the light fitting and separate the two halves but this could lead to there being lots of bits of light fitting all over the place and tracing wires through the flex is very hard.

The wires do show in the pictures that there is a grey stripe on at least one of the wires, though it may be on all of them, and so this might help tracing.

The wires should be one line, one neutral and one earth, the polarity of line and neutral will not matter on a G9 lamp but the earth identification is crucial to avoid an electric shock.

Even if you have a bulb and a battery with bits of wire to make a circuit you can use this on the wires (when disconnected from the mains supply) of the light fitting to trace them. The G9 lamp holder will have two contacts, one to either edge of the slot, make sure you are not shorting across the contacts and getting false readings.

One wire should go to one side of the lampholder, one wire to the other side of the lamp holder and the earth wire to the metal casing of the light fitting (similarly to the green wire you have already).

View attachment 35010
If polarity of the line and neutral isn't an issue as long as the earth is good, am I good to go as long as I make sure the earth is connwcted correctly....which I'm confident in doing
 
If polarity of the line and neutral isn't an issue as long as the earth is good, am I good to go as long as I make sure the earth is connwcted correctly....which I'm confident in doing
If polarity of the line and neutral isn't an issue as long as the earth is good, am I good to go as long as I make sure the earth is connwcted correctly....which I'm confident in doing
I think you have not quite followed that the three cores that are clear are probably (not definitely) line, neutral and earth.

The green wire is earth as well; there would be two wires going to the earth terminal on the ceiling.


For the three clear wires there are six options as pictured below, the ones connected via blue arrows will be, in this case, equivalent.

However if your identification is wrong then the light fitting could be deadly as the metal body could become live.

It is important to know which wire is which to avoid connecting a live cable to the body of the fitting.

View attachment 35020
 
I think you have not quite followed that the three cores that are clear are probably (not definitely) line, neutral and earth.

The green wire is earth as well; there would be two wires going to the earth terminal on the ceiling.


For the three clear wires there are six options as pictured below, the ones connected via blue arrows will be, in this case, equivalent.

However if your identification is wrong then the light fitting could be deadly as the metal body could become live.

It is important to know which wire is which to avoid connecting a live cable to the body of the fitting.

View attachment 35020
Thanks for the great options, I'll not be able to get to this until Christmas day now, however the 2 wires on the left were cable tied together so I'd assumed they were the same ....looking more like a job for a pro!
 
You're mistaking the 3 plate for the incomers and switch wire - it's a good diagram - let's see you do better (I'm not going to)
Not worried about neutral to live then?
 
call the plaster monkey back with the words " you took it off, now put it back. if you could not be arsed to mark the cables, then pay a spark tofix it".
 

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