Hi guys
OK I'm new to electrics - never felt too sure about them. Anyway we
need to replace the light on the bathroom celing. I bought one in
Homebase and got it home only to find out the instructions are wrong!
They refer to a diagram which shows which terminal is positive and
which negative. Of course, the lamp holder that comes with the light
has a different layout to the one in the picture so its impossible to
tell which is which! (Why oh why isnt there a + and a - on there
somewhere???!)

I'm sure its really obvious to most people which is + and which - but
I really am unsure and want to get some advice before proceeding with
my first install! I am presuming the +ve is the one, when viewed from
the inside, which has the sort of "springy" brass connector, is this
right?

I have attached pics of everything to the following addresses:

Manual diagram:
http://www.btinternet.com/~marino13/light1.jpg

Actual light fitting (from inside and also from the rear as per
diagram for comparison)
http://www.btinternet.com/~marino13/light2.jpg

Any good advise would be appreciated - its very dark in our bathroom
at the moment!


Shaun

Shaun wrote:
Hi guys
OK I'm new to electrics - never felt too sure about them. Anyway we
need to replace the light on the bathroom celing. I bought one in
Homebase and got it home only to find out the instructions are wrong!
They refer to a diagram which shows which terminal is positive and
which negative. Of course, the lamp holder that comes with the light
has a different layout to the one in the picture so its impossible to
tell which is which! (Why oh why isnt there a + and a - on there
somewhere???!)

Because it's AC - there is no + or - (or rather, they swap round 50
times a second, so it doesn't matter).


I'm sure its really obvious to most people which is + and which - but
I really am unsure and want to get some advice before proceeding with
my first install! I am presuming the +ve is the one, when viewed from
the inside, which has the sort of "springy" brass connector, is this
right?

The live should be connected to the base terminal, and the neutral to
the side terminal. But to be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter
- it's become very common for people not to pay any attention when
fitting edison screw (ugh) fittings.


--
Grunff

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 15:57:16 +0100, Grunff wrote:

Shaun wrote:
Hi guys
OK I'm new to electrics - never felt too sure about them. Anyway we
need to replace the light on the bathroom celing. I bought one in
Homebase and got it home only to find out the instructions are wrong!
They refer to a diagram which shows which terminal is positive and
which negative. Of course, the lamp holder that comes with the light
has a different layout to the one in the picture so its impossible to
tell which is which! (Why oh why isnt there a + and a - on there
somewhere???!)

Because it's AC - there is no + or - (or rather, they swap round 50
times a second, so it doesn't matter).


I'm sure its really obvious to most people which is + and which - but
I really am unsure and want to get some advice before proceeding with
my first install! I am presuming the +ve is the one, when viewed from
the inside, which has the sort of "springy" brass connector, is this
right?

The live should be connected to the base terminal, and the neutral to
the side terminal. But to be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter
- it's become very common for people not to pay any attention when
fitting edison screw (ugh) fittings.

Thanks for this great help! One question: when you say "side" and
"base" terminals - can you clarify this a little?

Thanks
Shaun

Thanks for this great help! One question: when you say "side" and
"base" terminals - can you clarify this a little?

Basically, in an ES fitting, there is a small point contact, which should be
live, and a large screw contact, which should be neutral. This is because it
is very easy to touch the large screw contact, so you don't want that one to
be the live one. If you get them the wrong way round, it is dangerous and an
obvious failure upon inspection.

Christian.

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:50:20 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

Thanks for this great help! One question: when you say "side" and
"base" terminals - can you clarify this a little?

Basically, in an ES fitting, there is a small point contact, which should be
live, and a large screw contact, which should be neutral. This is because it
is very easy to touch the large screw contact, so you don't want that one to
be the live one. If you get them the wrong way round, it is dangerous and an
obvious failure upon inspection.

Christian.


Hmm OK - this seems to go against what I was told by the previous
poster so I'm kinda back to square one! From the pictures I posted can
you clarify which is which before I burn the house down?

Thanks!
Shaun

"Shaun" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:50:20 +0100, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

Thanks for this great help! One question: when you say "side" and
"base" terminals - can you clarify this a little?

Basically, in an ES fitting, there is a small point contact, which should
be
live, and a large screw contact, which should be neutral. This is because
it
is very easy to touch the large screw contact, so you don't want that one
to
be the live one. If you get them the wrong way round, it is dangerous and
an
obvious failure upon inspection.

Christian.


Hmm OK - this seems to go against what I was told by the previous
poster so I'm kinda back to square one! From the pictures I posted can
you clarify which is which before I burn the house down?

The brown or red wire should connect to the tip of the screw in bulb, and
the blue or black wire should connect to the thread of the bulb - the earth
should connect to the casing of the fitting.

L is Live (Brown or Red wire)
N is Neutral (Blue or Black wire)
E is earth (Green, Green/Yellow or bare wire (You should use some
green/yellow sleeving if it is bare))

L N and E *should* be marked on the light fitting!

Sparks...

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 15:57:16 +0100, Grunff strung
together this:

But to be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter

Bad Grunff, very dangerous advice. Don't under any circumstances get
them the wrong way round. If you do the 'live bit' will be the bit
that is easily touchable from outside the lampholder.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 20:04:31 +0100, Shaun
strung together this:

Hmm OK - this seems to go against what I was told by the previous
poster so I'm kinda back to square one! From the pictures I posted can
you clarify which is which before I burn the house down?

In this case the thread is plastic so if you do get them the wrong way
round it's no biggie. It is good practice to get them the right way
round as some fitttings have an exposed metal thread.
You want to connect the live to the terminal that is connected to the
centre pin of the fitting.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

Lurch wrote:

But to be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter


Bad Grunff, very dangerous advice.


Weeeel, I did describe the correct way round, be fair.

But in ES fittings where the thread is plastic (like this one), and
contact with the bulb's threaded part is made at the bottom of the
fitting via a side spring, it's actually very difficult (impossible on
many fittings) to touch the bulb's threaded part while it's in contact
with the terminal - so it doesn't make a great deal of difference.

I personally think ES are evil and should be banned anyway.

--
Grunff