help fitting new bathroom light

[zardoz]

I have bought a new light to replace the old light/heater element in the bathroom. The new light has a diagram to wire it showing the wires going in to it. The lefty side is how the wires are supposed to go in from the ceiling. The right side is how the wires are supposed to meet it that are already fixed to the light . (according to the small wiring diagram in the box)

Live feed (red/brown) ----0-0------ Live
Earth ( yellow-green)-----0-0------Earth (metal link)
Netural feed (blue/black)--0-0------ Neutral

Our problem is the old fitting had all the red wires stuffed back up in to the ceiling (possibly taped together ?) and two of the black wires going to the middle (which was either neutral or live on our old light, with the earth at the bottom) and one black wire going to the top and the earth to the metal earth.

Electricity puzzled me as much as it did Catweazle.(the childrens character not the wrestler) Can anyone help let me know what wires go where. (I am trying to get some pics up but my damn clunky computer wont recognise the phone connection.)

 

[GrahamGKD]

I'm not a sparky but I would guess that one of the black wires is the switched live coming back from the switch (if so it should be marked with red (old system) tape)? The red wires you mention which are (or may have been) taped together are the power to the light looping in and then on to the next light fitting (2 wires) and the live going down to the switch (third wire). It sounds like you need a junction box in the absence of a fitting which has provision for handling the lighting circuit wires and the switch?

If you are replacing a light/heater with a light, does that mean you are now putting a light on a power circuit? How is it fused back at the consumer unit?

 

[gaz1]

here you are the dumped wire in the ceiling holds your live and switch wires

http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/electrics/ceiling-rose-wiring-and-connections.html

follow the junction box system unless you want to mess with that picadilly of wires in the ceiling then you will have to use the loop system

 

[Robotstar5]

Our problem is the old fitting had all the red wires stuffed back up in to the ceiling (possibly taped together ?) and two of the black wires going to the middle (which was either neutral or live on our old light, with the earth at the bottom) and one black wire going to the top and the earth to the metal earth.

At a guess,
The 2 black wires together are the neutral loop through -connects to blue new light wire
The single black is the switched live (should be marked with brown/red tape) - connects to brown new light wire
Earth (green/yellow sleeve/tape) to metal body

Taping the 3 reds together is not acceptable, use a junction box if it's accessible or use one of these

As you've had to ask the question and it's in a bathroom, I suggest you contact a local sparky, is your life (and family) worth the cost of a call out?

 

[BrokenBiker]

as said above, contact someone who knows what they are doing. water and electricity don't mix, and that includes steam

 

[sparkysy]

Sorry I agree with above get a proper sparky to sort it out, don't understand why people think they can do electrical work themselves but wouldn't touch a gas main cos their dangerous! Sorry that is why we spend time doing training!