Blog>How-To Guides>How to wire a ceiling rose
Last updated: 10 February 2025
How to wire a ceiling rose
If you are planning to replace your ceiling rose then you’ll need to do a bit of wiring to connect the new fitting. Have a read of our ‘how to’ guide to help you to decide whether you want to tackle this simple electrical job yourself or hire a professional.
A ceiling rose is a popular way to cover a light fitting. Available in a wide variety of styles and sizes, they can easily be chosen to match your home’s décor. Here, we'll show you how to wire a ceiling rose so that you can approach this job with confidence.
Wiring a ceiling rose in the UK yourself
Wiring a ceiling rose is a relatively straightforward job. If you follow the instructions below, you shouldn’t come up against any problems.
With any electrical work, however, safety is paramount. If you do decide to tackle this job yourself, it may be worth hiring a qualified electrician to check the safety of your completed work.
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How to wire a ceiling rose: step by step guide
Once you have found the perfect ceiling rose to complement your interior décor, it’s time to get started.
Firstly, you want to ensure that everything you do is done safely. As mentioned above, if you are unsure of your electrical skills, it’s always best to hire a professional.
1. Isolate the electricity supply to the light fitting
Whether you’re replacing your existing ceiling rose completely or just changing the light fitting, you’ll need to ensure that no electricity is reaching the fitting.
Find the corresponding switch on your fuse box or consumer unit. Isolate the circuit you are going to be working on. Test the switch to ensure that the power supply is turned off.
Once you’ve done this, you are safe to work on the wiring.
2. Carefully remove the existing light bulb and ceiling rose fitting
You will need a screwdriver set with a variety of flathead and Philips-head screwdrivers in different sizes.
The ceiling rose will usually be attached to the ceiling with standard-sized screws. For the electrical wire connectors, you will need a small screwdriver (usually a flathead like those used to repair glasses).
3. Identify the switched live wire
Before you disconnect your existing ceiling rose, check to see which is the switched live wire. This may be indicated by some insulation tape or sleeving wrapped around the wire. If this is present, then you don’t need to do anything.
Sometimes, however, the switched live wire will only have been marked on the ceiling rose terminal. In this case, you will need to wrap some insulation tape around it, so you know which one it is when it comes to connecting the new rose.
4. Disconnect the ceiling rose
Disconnect your old ceiling rose. You will now have three sets of red (or brown), and black (or blue) wires housed inside three cables.
These will hang down from the ceiling. You are now ready to wire up your new ceiling rose.
5. Connect all the wires to the correct terminal blocks
Using a small flathead screwdriver, loosen all the terminal blocks so that the wires can easily be pushed inside.
Now, connect the wires to their appropriate terminal block:
Two neutral wires (black or blue) into neutral block (left block)
Three live wires (brown or red) into live block (central block)
Switched live wire (marked black or blue) into switch block (right block)
You have now connected your new ceiling rose and should have two empty terminals (one live, one neutral) to connect the wires of your lamp holder.
6. Connect your lamp holder and light bulb
Screw the neutral wire from the new lamp holder into the remaining neutral terminal. Do the same for the lamp holder live wire into the remaining live terminal.
Fit your new fitting to the ceiling and insert the light bulb.
7. Turn the power on and test your new light fitting
It’s now time to turn the power back on. Once you have flicked the switch at your fuse box or consumer unit, you can test the new light with the corresponding light switch.
If it illuminates immediately, success! You have safely installed a new ceiling rose. If, on the other hand, the light does not come on, turn the power back off, remove the light fitting and check to see if all the connections are secured.
If a problem persists, you will need to contact a qualified electrician for assistance.
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Find an approved electrician to install a ceiling rose
If you’re struggling with your new ceiling rose or you want to hire a professional to check that your wiring meets current safety standards, the best place to look is the Checkatrade database.
With 47,000 approved tradespeople in our trusted directory, Checkatrade is the place to find the help you need
The Checkatrade badge is a sign of a job well done*
Every tradesperson has passed up to 12 checks to be in our directory, so you know you’re working with a true professional
When you book a trade through Checkatrade, their work is guaranteed for up to 12 months (exclusions and T&Cs apply)
With an average review score of 9.77 out of 10, Checkatrade tradespeople are known for high-quality*
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*Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.
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