this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2023
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Hello there.

Just joined to ask for help with my newly purchased used ceiling light.

There are 5 bulbs on the ligh and 3 wires: one red, one blue, one black. 1 build lights up when I hook the red and the blue wires to the house circuit (old house, no ground). 2 bulbs light up when I hook the black wire to the same spot as the red one. The 3 other bulds light up when I hook the black wire to the same spot as the blue one (picture). How do I get all 5 bulbs to light up together?

Thanks for your insight!

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[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Issue is I can't see any color for the ceiling wires (only one or two cm of wire, hooked directly into the connector), so I'll use C1 for ceiling one and C2 for ceiling 2. Lba makes the switch:

  • first picture is Lr+Lba on c1, Lbu on c2, two bulbs lit
  • second picture is Lr on c1, Lba and Lbu on c2, three other bulbs lit.

I don't think switching c1 and c2 will make any difference.

I am wondering if black shouldn't go to both ceiling wires...

[–] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Definitely get lba connected to one wire, and lbu and lr to the other. Lba is the common wire, get that alone and all the bulbs will light up.

Differences between the wires in the ceiling is that one is switched live and the other is neutral.

It may be pedantic, but lba connects to the side of the sockets, which is more easy to touch. That's why I would connect that to neutral. But if you can't see the wires in the ceiling, then it doesn't matter that much.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

And there was light :-)

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

I'll try just that and update