wiring lights?

Question

I've been in my house for a year and im now changing some lights in the hall and my bedroom when i removed the bedroom light there was three set of wires coming out what i mean is three leads of the grey with red ,black and green all three are connected into the light but surely only one is connected to the electric im guessing the house got rewired and the electric cables didnt get removed ,
i told my husband to remove one lead at a time to see what works the light and to clip back any dead ones and ones that work it to be connected to the light .He thinks this is unsafe Can anyone help me out ?

sorry evan dont think you read my question right i know what colours go where and house is earthed im asking about the fact i have 3 sets of red 3 of black and 3 green ,its a single light switch basic lamp holder wanting to put spotlights in .

Answer 1

If the wires were connected they are not old, do NOT remove any. You have a standard wiring method called 'Loop in' One cable is a supply from the mains or the previous light, another is a loop feed to the next light, and the third is a feed and switch wire to the switch for this light outlet. Three reds should be joined with a connector. The first two blacks should be joined to the blue to the light. The black of the third cable should be marked with a red/brown sleeve or tape and connect to the brown of the light. ALL earths connect together.

If you have isolated the cables you will have to identify which is which or you will create a short circuit. You should have left it alone in the first place, since you appear to not know what you are doing.

Answer 2

It sounds as though someone has used the light as a junction box. Without knowing more about the wiring, I'd trace the wires back to the nearest "real" junction box to discover more about the system and what all has been wired onto the circuit. It's definetly not safe to have the wires joined in the way you described it - it could cause a fire. Even if the wires are being used to provide electricity further along the circuit, it's a bad practice and I believe it violates code. But again, I'm not sure of all the details, but I would fix it myself or have a qualified person take a look.

Good luck

Answer 3

jayktee is correct...I am a general contractor, and often advise homeowners on repairs and remodels. This is an area you DON't want to guess about, and at this point, an electrician is the best thing you can do. It's not any indication of your ability to do things, but miswiring and faulty wiring is the cause of more than 1/2 of all residential fires in the U.S., and to try to find how and what to connect or delete in wiring by the hunt and hope method is an invitation to disaster. Electricians have some of the longest training in the construction industry, because there is so much to learn to be safe and competent in the field, for your family's saftey, I hope you would find an electrician to advise you on site at your home.

Answer 4

Caution
wires required 1 x red = switchwire controlling said light
1 x black= neutral controlling said light
1 x green = earth controling said light
Balance of reds I think you will find are feeds to take the power to other
switches, blacks are neutral loops going around the house.Do Not cut or clip
any wire without knowing what function they serve as you could be cutting
neutral loops or feeds.Electrical work nowadays costs a bomb so make
sure you get it right or it could work out expensive.

Answer 5

that little green wire is a ground. It is connected, through some means within the house, to...well...the ground. It allows the elctrical system to deal with spikes and surges without damaging the electrical components in your house.

Almost all fixtures will have a green screw somewhere on them expressly for this purpose. All he needs to do is connect the ground to the green screw. If he cannot find a green screw, just have him make sure the green lead is touching a bare metal anywhere on the fixture.

Answer 6

all the wires are needed " you have the mains comming in = 1 set ,cable going to the switch=1 set cable going to the next light in the house IE carrying on the mains link" they MUST go back in the same way they came out !!!!! if not sure a sparky will be required (very dangerous)

Answer 7

Carefull on this one, it's the feeds from other lights. check out some diy sites on this. i have changed lights some had i think 6 wires some had 3? my house only 9 yrs old. There are loads of helpfull diy sites go there 1ST!!!

Answer 8

Leave the existing wires. They used it as a junction to branch out to different lights or wall plugs. Wire the new light just as the old one. Leave the others.

Answer 9

you ought to verify your construction code on your section even even with the indisputable fact that 12/2 is the main hassle-free allowed cord for properties some juridictions require 10/2 that's a greater gage cord. in case you do no longer use what's code than if it reasons a fireplace your coverage will possibly no longer pay as a results of you u.s. a cord that's no longer as much as code

Answer 10

call out a sparky,remember this if anything? youre dead a long time?