Overhead Light is Working

I finished my last blog with comments on the difficulties that I was encountering in what should have been a simple job of putting up the lights.  Toward the end of another fruitless effort I gave up and arranged for an electrician to visit the house this coming Wednesday.

I then took a few days' break from the building but spurred on by a text message from Paul to keep trying I continued thinking about the problem.  I came to realize that one of my obstacles was a very practical one of working on top of the ladder anc making the delicate electrical connections while trying to hold the rather large light only inches from the ceiling.  I came up with the plan of extending the five overhead wires so that I would be able to try the various connections in relative comfort and leisure.  A real electrician would probably laugh at my tactic but I needed to give myself every possible assistance.

Yesterday morning I went to the garage and cut two sections of 3-core light cabling to 2.5 meter (8') lengths and peeled the ends ready for connection. I then made the connections and was now able to work on the floor, always careful to ensure that the house main light circuit was off when I was working with bare wires and unconnected wires capped off.

Extension of cables to floor

The first attempt failed.  I simply connected the two light wires to the active and neutral posts on the light with the earth from the 3-core cable.  This failed.  I removed the light switch and it appeared to be properly wired.

Testing light on the floor (It Works!!!!!)

I then located a hastily scribbled wiring schematic of the original connection to the much different light fitting and saw that the red (active) from the 3-core cable was directly connected to the red of the 2-core light switch (the "loop" connection) and, well, metaphorically speaking a light bulb came on in my head.  Simple, really.  The 3-core cable supplied the active, neutral, and earth to the light with the wrinkle that its red be connected to the red of the 2-core switch cable and its return white wire be connected to connected to the active post the light. (Duh!)

The new connection worked and I was able to mount the light in the semidarkness of the waning day.  It is a good and firm mounting but because the ceiling footprint of the light is so small, I'll ask Paul to do his magic and fill  up the tiny hole along one edge of the fitting.

I flipped on the switch of the finished product concerned that a 4-light unit would provide too much light for the bathroom but in fact I found the result spectacular, with light spread softly and evenly all around the room.

Today I will tackle the much simpler job of sorting out the neon light over the wash basin using the same wire extension technique so that I can work on a flat surface.  If that works well I will cancel the visit by the electrician.

Finished Product