I purchased a chandelier from France. The 3 wires are blue, yellow and brown, rather than the standard black, white, and ground. How should I connect them?
Wiring – How to connect a chandelier from France
wiring
Related Topic
- Wiring – How to connect earth(grounding) that has copper wire attached
- Electrical – Rewiring European Chandelier
- Wiring – Need help replacing light fixture
- Wiring – Replacing chandelier, I have 5 different colours of wires coming out of the ceiling
- Wiring – Is the purple wire on AC blower motor common wire
- Wiring – How to safely connect EU (220-240v) induction cooktop in the USA
Best Answer
If the device was wired using French conventions, the ground is yellow, blue is the neutral wire, and brown is the live wire (ref).
That said, the ground should be apparent by inspection. Look at where the yellow (or green and yellow) wire goes. It surely is attached directly to metal on the chandelier.
As for the other two wires, it doesn't matter electrically which is which: a/c (alternating current) works forwards and backwards the same. :-) For electrical safety reasons, it is best to get them right. That way if one unscrews a bulb while power is applied, it is harder to get a shock: The power will be at the bottom of the socket. With neutral and live reversed, the sides of the socket is energized relative to ground, so a casual bulb-swapper could get shocked.