Electrical wiring: LED ceiling light fitting...

Sven9

I'm replacing an old flourescent tube with a new flat LED ceiling light. Looking for someone experienced to check the advice I received from GPT ( I know…)

Basically, I was surprised to find 3 cables coming out of the ceiling instead of one. I now understand (from youtube) that this is a looped in/out system. One cable is for the loop, one is for the mains supply and the third is for the switch.

The light has 4 connecters: permanent live, switched live, earth and neutral.

All the neutrals go together? all the earths go together? one live from the switch goes to switched live? the other 2 lives go to permanent live?

right?

Here's what GPT told me..

Prompt: I am electric wiring a looped LED flush ceiling light. I have 3 cables coming out of the ceiling. on the light fixture i have 4 connections permanent live, switched live, earth and neutral. How should I connect the 3 cables. The light is a savoca cat LED IP65 IK 10 Standard - 18w 1800lm

 

Answer: Got it 👍 You’re installing a **loop-in ceiling light** and you’ve got 3 cables coming out of the ceiling. That’s a very standard setup in UK/EU wiring. I’ll break it down for you:

 

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### 1. What those 3 cables are

 

* **Cable 1**: Power feed *into* the light (Live + Neutral + Earth).

* **Cable 2**: Power feed *out* to the next light (Live + Neutral + Earth).

* **Cable 3**: The **switch cable** (usually 2-core + Earth, one wire is permanent live, the other is switched live).

 

That’s why you’ve got 3× L, N, and E in the ceiling.

 

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### 2. Terminals on your Savoca light

 

* **Permanent Live (L)** – this is just a loop terminal, not connected to the fitting electronics.

* **Switched Live (SL)** – this is the *only live feed into the light driver/LEDs*.

* **Neutral (N)** – connects to the neutrals of supply, onward cable, and the fitting.

* **Earth (⏚)** – all earths together.

 

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### 3. How to connect

 

1. **Earths (green/yellow)**:

   All 3 earth wires → Earth terminal on the fitting.

 

2. **Neutrals (blue or black depending on age)**:

   All neutral wires (supply, onward, and fitting neutral) → Neutral terminal.

 

3. **Lives (brown or red depending on age)**:

 

   * **Permanent Lives** (feed in, feed out, and the **switch feed to the switch**): all go together in the **Permanent Live terminal**.

   * **Switched Live (return from switch)**: goes into the **Switched Live terminal** on the light.

     ⚠️ Mark this conductor with **brown sleeving/tape** if it’s blue/black so it’s clear that it’s a live, not a neutral.

 

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### 4. Key notes

 

* The **Permanent Live** terminal is not powering the lamp — it’s just looping through to keep the circuit intact.

* The **Switched Live** is the only one that feeds the LED driver inside.

* Always isolate at the consumer unit before working.

* If your switch cable isn’t marked, **test which wire is switched live** with a voltage tester before connecting.

 

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✅ In short:

 

* Earths → Earth

* All Neutrals → Neutral

* All Permanent Lives (incl. switch feed to switch) → Permanent Live terminal

* Switched Live (from switch return) → Switched Live terminal

 

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Does that sound correct?

 

Obviously, I would also have to turn of the electricity supply at the mains which is not clearly mentioned.

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058425760/electrical-wiring-led-ceiling-light-fitting

Number 3 in "4. key notes".

Anyone who needs reminding to do this shouldn't attempt it.