any electricians out there.. wiring problem?

Question

hi i have just bought an outside security light and on trying to wire it upthe wires that come from inside my house connecting to the existing light are different colours to the normal brown,blue and green. the colours are blue red and yellow. please can you advise me what wire goes where. regards russell

Answer 1

yellow = green
brown = red
blue = blue

Answer 2

If you are in the UK the blue/red /yellow cores are actually old phase colours and could therefore be anything. But are probably a 3 core flat, grey pvc sheathed cable. In which case the red is live, neutral is blue and yelow is earth, BUT!!!! it is also possible that someone has wired this as an override switch in which case, the red is live, neutral is blue and yellow is switched live (light permanenty ON) and there is NO EARTH CORE. Either way the cores should have been marked to indicate what they were for, and I would suggest that you have the cable checked by a professional to establish what has been done.

Answer 3

From what YOU are saying (Black, Red 3 earth wires....) the deduction is that you are ruled by a Queen, not a jumped up cowboy. Again, deduction... You have 3 pairs of wires here, (3 Earth wires you say) Seems someone may have screened what could be a black with red sleeve (logical reason for this, read on) Now, what you are seeing is two ends of a ring main circuit (red/black/ earth) and the other end the same, (red /black/ earth) and the third cable, coming from the switch, red/ black(sleeved red) and earth. The reason for the 'sleeved red' is because the red(live) going to the switch is live all the time, whereas the 'sleeved red' becomes live when the switch is on, this is termed the switched live. Your first task is to identify this switch wire. Ignore the earths, ensure power is 'off' at the mains (pull the lighting fuse, or switch off the main house switch on the consumer unit.) Use a Continuity tester, identify which pair show a dead short when your switch is 'on', check this by switching on/off and observing the meter. If my hunch is right, you will find this pair as two reds. The remaining Reds/Blacks are your ring main circuit, and connect up red to red, black to black. Now, for the switch circuit. Traditionally, its a good idea (the regulation tell us) to switch the live . So, we take one switch wire to the Red pair (red is live this side said the Queen) Now, for your actual fitting. The 'Black' wire on your fitting goes to the Black pair we connected together earlier for the ring circuit. The Blue wire on your fitting goes to the single wire we have left over, which returns from the switch. Now, when the switch is 'ON, the single wire that returns from the switch which we connected to the blue wire on the fitting becomes live, and the light comes on. Make sure all your 'Earth wires are sheathed with Green Yellow sleeving (Wickes/ Homebase) connect them all together, and to your light fitting earth. Please, ensure all your terminals are tight, all your wiring tidy you don't want to catch wires as you finish off. The reason (just re-read you question) for the 4 terminals is.... 1-Earth:2 - Live (ring and switch in) 3 - Neutral (ring and fitting neutral) 4 - Switched Live (the wire from the switch that becomes live when the switch is on.) Hope this helps, work safe. My E-Mail is on my profile if you feel the need.

Answer 4

Take the advice of Jayktee and get a professional in case the yellow core has been used instead of an earth instead of the cpc ( uninsulated ) cable inside the grey one.
The yellow may be an overide switchline and this needs checking properly.

Answer 5

Installing an outside light is allowable and is not notifiable under part p because it is being connected to the inside lighting circuit!

I assume you are in the UK, people referring to an hot wire are in the USA.

Are these three wires at a switch?

You cannot wire an outside light to a switch normally as there is no neutral wire!

Some light switches do contain a neutral wire, it depends how it has been wired-

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/lighting_circuits.htm

You need to take the feed from the ceiling rose or junction box, rather than the switch.

Red or Brown is live
Black or Blue is neutral.

Answer 6

Sounds like a very old light. I would say Blue to Blue, Brown to RED and Green to Yellow.

Answer 7

None of the colors you mention are standard. Standard wiring is black for hot, white for neutral, and green for ground. Having a meter would help. It is easy to find the hot wire by going from earth ground to each wire with the switch on to find which one is hot. It's harder to tell which is neutral and ground, since they are connected together at the breaker box. The best way would be to open the switch and pull it out of its case and see what color the wire is going to the switch ground. Good luck.

Answer 8

Whooo! STOP!
Those colours are for a two way light, Non of them are the earth, this is the copper wire with no insulation. STOP what your doing and get an electrician in. Also Make sure he/she is part P. Any wiring done in your property has to be done by a qualified sparks now, its the law. It stops people from killing themselves, or others.

Answer 9

Red = brown
Blue = Black
Yellow = Green

Answer 10

DID YOU throw away the Instructions? They are there to SHOW YOU what wires go WHERE!

The Power is PLUGGED INTO or tied into the Standard 120VAC household Circuit!

ALSO, go back to the Retailer that you bought it from AND ask them for Instructions!

Thanks, RR

Answer 11

this would be best answered by thoroughly reading the instructions. anyone could guess which color goes where , unfortunately all most all would be wrong. if reading the instructions don't help you call an electrician and watch him hook it up