Where do all the wires go? (electricians please!!!!)?

This is ALWAYS true in AC wiring in the USA:

Green or Bare= Equipment ground (Earth)

White= Neutral

Any other color= Live (Black, red, brown, blue, etc.)

Are you from Europe??? Those colors aren't familiar to me and I'm an Electrician.

From what YOU are saying (Black, Red 3 earth wires....) the deduction is that you are ruled by a Queen, not a jumped up cowboy.

Again, deduction... You have 3 pairs of wires here, (3 Earth wires you say)

Seems someone may have screened what could be a black with red sleeve (logical reason for this, read on)

Now, what you are seeing is two ends of a ring main circuit (red/black/ earth) and the other end the same, (red /black/ earth) and the third cable, coming from the switch, red/ black(sleeved red) and earth. The reason for the 'sleeved red' is because the red(live) going to the switch is live all the time, whereas the 'sleeved red' becomes live when the switch is on, this is termed the switched live.

Your first task is to identify this switch wire. Ignore the earths, ensure power is 'off' at the mains (pull the lighting fuse, or switch off the main house switch on the consumer unit.) Use a Continuity tester, identify which pair show a dead short when your switch is 'on', check this by switching on/off and observing the meter. If my hunch is right, you will find this pair as two reds.

The remaining Reds/Blacks are your ring main circuit, and connect up red to red, black to black.

Now, for the switch circuit. Traditionally, its a good idea (the regulation tell us) to switch the live . So, we take one switch wire to the Red pair (red is live this side said the Queen)

Now, for your actual fitting. The 'Black' wire on your fitting goes to the Black pair we connected together earlier for the ring circuit. The Blue wire on your fitting goes to the single wire we have left over, which returns from the switch.

Now, when the switch is 'ON, the single wire that returns from the switch which we connected to the blue wire on the fitting becomes live, and the light comes on.

Make sure all your 'Earth wires are sheathed with Green Yellow sleeving (Wickes/ Homebase) connect them all together, and to your light fitting earth. Please, ensure all your terminals are tight, all your wiring tidy you don't want to catch wires as you finish off.

The reason (just re-read you question) for the 4 terminals is.... 1-Earth:2 - Live (ring and switch in) 3 - Neutral (ring and fitting neutral) 4 - Switched Live (the wire from the switch that becomes live when the switch is on.)

Hope this helps, work safe. My E-Mail is on my profile if you feel the need.

Where are you from honey? In the U.S. black wires are hott, neutrals are white. A blue wire is a lighting wire, or accesory for a lighting circuit. A red wire usually is for a three way switch. Ground wires are green or copper. What you are describing sounds dangerous. Most building codes will only allow 3 hott wires to meet in a ceiling fixedure. Many electricinas will tap into a light circuit for an accesory because of ease. You put alot of wires in one place they create resistance, heat and fires. I hope you don't get shocked, but once you do you'll lose spirit for this job and get a professional.

STOP, STOP , STOP

BOTH BLACK WIRES DO NOT GO TO THE BLUE.

ALL REDS DO NOT CONNECT TOGETHER

There, did that get your attention ? Good.

One of the blacks could well be a switched live from the light switch.

On of the reds could well be a neutral loop.

you can never assume the lgiht was wired up with the correct colours and should test out the wires using continuity and a volt meter/lamp.

I cringe at much of the advice i see in Yahoo Answers on electrican work. If a Yahoo reader did you're wiring before you, then you need to be very careful !

You need to do some investigation and , not wishing to insult, it sounds like you are not used to electrical work so you should hand the job over to someone who can do this.

Get them to teach you.

Its impossible to give a difinitive answer here without seeing and testing the wires.

Its a minor job, but you need to know what you are doing.

You might have a switch that allows you to switch different bulbs on/off at any given time and that could be the reason for more than one live wire. Check out the switch.

It is totally cool to connect all the earth wires to the light fitting.

I"m no electrician but where I live... Black is H O T!!!! and sometimes RED is the other leg of a 240 volt circuit..... White is always neutral where I live too. and GREEN is ground.... If there are more than 3 wires present... (white, black, and green)...... save yourself a lot of headaches and call a electrician out to check for you.... you will sleep better at night and might even learn something for a service call.... lots cheaper than getting fried and hurt with hot wires....

BB<><

Listen to Mike H...he knows what hes talking about and has solved your wiring problem.

in the ceiling:

"I have 3 earth wires,"( which should be bare copper),

"2 Neutral (black) wires " - no blacks are NEVER Neutral...they are always the hots

4 Live wires (Red) - normally switched hot wires

All earths to earth connection, all reds into seperate connector, one of the black will become live when the switch is opperated, this goes into the connection with the brown wire and the other onto the blue.

Sorry to tell you this but you don't have good terminology to enable anyone to tell you how to put the thing in. Black wires are not "earth" but most often "hot" while white is most often the neutral. Red is most often hot. You need to be able to sort out the function of all the wires in the box to be able to install the new light.

I have put up many ceiling fans myself . but not sure of all you re wires you describe. try going to home depot web site they usually have a self help section that can guide you through installation of your fan