How to fix ceiling lights

Tools and materials

Indoor lights

Quantity: Optional

Pendant lights

Quantity: Optional

Specialist screwdriver

Quantity: 1

Ligthtbulbs

Quantity: Optional

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Identifying the circuit type

The first task is to identify the circuit type – junction box or loopin. With the power turned off, remove the ceiling rose cover. You can’t tell from the design of the rose; you need to count the cables entering it. If there is only one cable, you have junction-box wiring; if there are two or three, you have a loop-in system.

Single cable entering rose

A single cable at the rose indicates junctionbox wiring.

Three cables entering rose

Three cables at the rose indicate loop-in wiring; an intermediate rose on the circuit will have two circuit cables plus a switch cable.

Two cables entering rose

Two cables entering rose

Safe electrics

You can add extra lights to an existing circuit (except in a kitchen or bathroom) without notifying your Local Authority Building Control Department. All electrical installation work must comply with current Building and Electrical Regulations.

Before you start any kind of electrical work isolate the circuit by removing the circuit fuse or switching and locking the circuit breaker. Double-check it is dead with a socket tester or voltage tester. Never take risks with electrical safety!

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Moving a pendant light

Isolate the circuit, double-check it is dead and unscrew the rose cover. When you have identified the wiring type, disconnect the flex and feed cable.

With junction-box wiring

Unscrew the rose base from the ceiling and push the cable back through. Above the ceiling, connect the cable to a three-terminal junction box; run a length of 1mm2 two-core-and-earth cable from the new light rose. Connect the brown core to the live terminal, the blue to the neutral terminal and the earth (insulated with green/yellow sleeving) to the earth terminal. Make good the ceiling at the old light position with filler.

With loop-in-wiring

Unscrew the rose base from the ceiling and push the cables back through. Mount a four-terminal junction box above the original light position. Connect the live, neutral and earth cores of the main circuit cable(s) to three separate terminals. Then connect the brown core of the switch cable to the circuit lives, the earth core to the circuit earths and the blue core to the fourth (unused) terminal. Finally, add a fourth cable to feed the light, connecting its brown core to the switch blue, its blue core to the circuit neutrals and its earth to the circuit earths. Make good the ceiling at the old light position with filler.

Safety first - pendants

Flex can only support a very light lamp and shade. Light fittings over 2kg must be chain-supported for safety. Fittings with metal parts must be earthed via three-core flex unless they are clearly labelled as double-insulated.

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Adding an extra pendant light to an existing switch

If a single pendant fitting doesn’t provide enough light, you can add another controlled by the same switch without too much trouble. The one limiting factor is the number of lighting outlets already powered by the circuit; don’t risk overloading the circuit.

With junction-box wiring

Double-check the circuit is dead and cut the feed cable to the original light at a suitable position to install a three-terminal junction box. Run a length of 1mm2 two-core-and-earth cable from there to the new fitting.

With loop-in wiring

1. Double-check the power is off and run a spur cable from the original ceiling rose, connecting its brown core to the same terminal as the switch drop blue core (which should carry a length of brown PVC sleeving to indicate that it can be live) and its blue core to the neutral circuit cores, the earth core going to the earth terminal – as illustrated, right.
2. At the new rose, connect the brown core to the terminal marked ‘live’ and the blue core to the terminal marked neutral’. Take the earth core to the earth terminal, covering it in green/yellow sleeving. Connect the live (brown) core of the pendant flex to the live terminal and the neutral (blue) core to the neutral terminal.

Running a spur from a loop-in rose

With a loop-in system, you can add a spur cable at the original ceiling rose to provide power to a second light controlled by the same switch.

Wiring colours

The colours of the live and neutral cores in cable have changed. Take special care when working on any installation that combines old and new.

In lighting circuits, a warning flag of brown (formerly red) PVC electrical sleeving is used to indicate that one or more cores aside from the brown live core may also at times serve as the live feed.

Running a spur from a loop-in rose to a new rose and switch

With a loop-in rose, you can add a spur cable to provide power to a second light position controlled by its own switch.

Adding a pendant light and new switch

Whichever type of wiring you have, you may find it possible to run the switch cable back to the existing switch position, replacing the original one-gang switch with a two-gang unit. This will make for a neater installation.

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Types of wiring

With junction-box wiring

1. Double-check the circuit is dead then cut the main circuit cable and install a four-terminal junction box. Connect the live cores of the split circuit cable to one terminal, the neutral cores to another and the earth cores to a third, adding green/yellow sleeving.
2. Then run one length of 1mm2 two-core-andearth cable to the new light and another to the switch. Connect the brown switch core to the circuit lives, its earth to the circuit earths and its blue core to the fourth terminal; add a length of brown PVC electrical sleeving to this core to show that it can be live.
3. Connect the brown core of the light cable to the switch drop's blue core, its blue core to the circuit neutrals and its earth to the earth terminal.

With loop-in wiring

1. Double-check the power is off and run a spur cable from an existing rose on the circuit, connecting its brown core to the main circuit lives, its blue core to the main circuit neutrals and its earth to the earth terminal.
2. At the new light position, connect its brown core to the central bank of terminals, which may be marked 'loop', and its blue core to the neutral terminal; connect the earth to the earth terminal, adding green/yellow sleeving.
3. Then run in the switch drop cable at the new rose, connecting its brown core to the spur's brown, its blue core (flagged brown) to the live terminal and its earth to the earth terminal.

Alternatively

With either type of wiring, you have the alternative option of connecting a threeterminal junction box into the main circuit cable and running a spur from there to a loop-in rose with its own switch cable.

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