Help, simple Live, Negative, Earth wiring conundrum

[gadgetmac]

Been given a 2nd hand light fitting (which I love) from a deceased persons estate but it comes with a catch, the 3 wires from the fixing are all identical and I can't tell which is which by looking at them. Unfortunately no note to help with the wiring was made when the fitting was hastily removed from the ceiling.

I don't want to guess at it and plunge the street into darkness so how can i find out without also destroying the fitting at the same time.

I'm not an electrician so any help will need to be simply explained.

Thanks for any help, picture below.

[gadgetmac]

No, the actual light fitting.

[gadgetmac]

[gadgetmac]

There is an earth wire to the body shown sticking out in the top left of the above picture. One of the 3 wires in the top picture is also an earth...don't know which.

[gadgetmac]

I have one of these but have no idea how to use it. Sorry, I'm not a sparky.

[gadgetmac]

Damn...the multimeter doesn't read out anything at all when i touch the probes together. It's just dead. There is nowhere to insert batteries so i assume that it functions without them.

Ok, i can get one from a neighbour tomorrow. Then what? How do i discern the 2 remaining wires please?

[gadgetmac]

Ok, clearly a rubbish multimeter. So, on the basis that i can find the earth the other 2 are inter-changeable yes?

...prays for "yes" reply...

[gadgetmac]

Excellent...thank you all so much guys...great help. I'll get MM tomorrow!

[gadgetmac]

Very true, thank you.

Just looked on screwfix and i'll buy one of these tomorrow



Thats the best pic i can find on-line.

[gadgetmac]

EireEng said:

The other two are interchangeable in terms of function, so it'll work, yes.

Bit of a moot point in this situation, because the wires are likely the same colour throughout the fitting, but if you had coloured wires connected in reverse polarity, it'd work but if someone came along in the future to work on one of the 3 bulb holders and didn't know the polarity was wrong it may cause an issue. The fitting should be isolated before working on it, but you never know.

If they're screw in fittings, put the neutral on the bit of the bulb with the threads and the line on the central terminal; it leaves the line conductor better hidden and out of the way when changing bulbs in the future.

Thank you.

Yes the wires appear to be the same colour throughout the fitting. The bulbs are screw in. I think if ever the fitting needs work doing on it i'll throw it away to save any potential problems.

[gadgetmac]

Thank you very much and it answers a question for me. It has the same setting that miniman said I need to use on my (rubbish) MM.

Again, thank you.

I'll give this a go tomorrow and hopefully report back that the fitting is now installed and I'm still alive. I'll post a picture.

Cheers all.