Weird wiring dangerous?

I was changing a light fitting on a rented apartment. Fitting so old, the wires broke.

After removing the old fitting, I noticed that the wires did not configure as usual.

There were three wire nuts, as usual, and I imagined one for live, one neutral, and one earth. However, not the case.

Live wire connected as usual - two wires in one nut.

Second nut had four wires going into it. Three came from the ceiling (all white) and one wire just went between the ‘neutral’ nut and the third nut. This short wire came away when loosening the nuts.

The third nut held the short wire to nut 2 and the neutral from the ceiling lamp.

When loosening nut 2, the short wire fell away and the remaining three twisted together. I pinched the wires to separate the ends.I received a slight shock even though the fuse for the ceiling was turned off. Also, a lamp powered by an outlet near the floor went out the moment those wires separated. Fuse for outlets on.

I stopped what I was doing at that point, as the set up was unusual and felt dangerous despite the fuse for ceiling being disconnected.

can anyone advise? Building manager only interested in me knowing I have to pay for an electrician.

 

JUst what we would advise. For reasons of liability you should not touch the wiring. There are multiple ways to wire a light. Basically you only need to connect a new light to the same two places the old light was connected and not touch anything else but since you rent you shouldn't even do that.

 

Yes, you need to have someone else come look at it. Your use of terminology indicates you really don't have the first clue about wiring. The fact you received a shock indicates you don't know the most basic things about working with electrics...like always verify voltage is not present before touching bare wiring??

Sorry, but those are truths.