Light not working

[con1_uk]

Hello,

We bought a new light and I cant seem to get it working properly.

Before I even fiddled with this light it never worked properly, it would go dim when one of the other lights in the hall was switched on.

When I looked at the wiring it seemed pretty straight forward (see pic) but I cant get the light to work properly, I can get it on but it stays on all the time (so at least I know the light works). Since fitting this new light the hall and outside light no longer work...


Help

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[con1_uk]

Untitled

• con1_uk
• 24 Feb 2013
• 1

 

[JohnD]

photo "has been made private"

have you got a multimeter?

 

[con1_uk]

Sorry, can you see the pic now?

I can get a meter tomorrow from work, It looks pretty easy, can't understand why it wont work. I have tried every combination

 

[JohnD]

yes, I can see it now.

You have got to identify:

a) which is the black and red pair that goes to the switch
b) which is the live black and red pair that bring in the incoming supply
c) which is the black and red pair that loops out to the next ceiling rose.

The Red of "a", "b" and "c" are to be connected together.

The black of "b" and "c" are to be connected together

The black of "a" must not be connected to anything else except the light fitting. It should be sheathed in red. It is the Switched Live and goes to the brown wire of the lamp.

I always use a permanent marker to label or number the cable sheaths to avoid the muddle you are in.

Your lamp needs to be connected to the Black of the cable that goes to the switch (which is Switched Live), and the black of the loop in and loop out (which goes to the blue wire of the lamp).

 

[con1_uk]

Thanks for the reply,


One thing I cant understand is the choc blocks where like that before I haven't touched them so it was a case of connect the live of the lamp to the 3 live's and the Neutral to one of the black chok blocks, if that don't work try the other but this combination don't work

 

[con1_uk]

Sorry forgot to mention I have 2 switches, does that complicate things?

 

[JohnD]

try this //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37582

 

[Robin0577]

Thanks for the reply,

it was a case of connect the live of the lamp to the 3 live's

There's your first mistake, that's why the light stays on.

The reds are (should be) permanent lives, the single black (should be ) switched live, that's where you connect your light live, the double blacks (should be) neutral...

That's assuming it's been done in the conventional way, given your earlier post though, about it never having been quite right, it may well be that there is something unusual going on either in this bit of wiring or at the other light which causes this one to dim. That can only be solved by using test gear and an understanding of how lighting circuits are supposed to work, see the link above for that...

 

[con1_uk]

I normally take a photo of the wires before I start but it looked so un complicated doh!!!

If I have 2 switches and 1 feed in and 1 feed to the other lights shouldn't I then have 4 sets of cables not 3?

 

[con1_uk]

Just had a thought then, maybe I don't use the 3 reds at all, its the 2 lots of blacks I need to connect?

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Just had a thought then, maybe I don't use the 3 reds at all, its the 2 lots of blacks I need to connect?

That should be it. The 2 blacks together are the neutral loop and feed. The single black is your switched live and should have some red sleeving on it to show it isn't a neutral.

 

[securespark]

Connect the light fitting live to the single black wire (which should be marked red) and the light fitting neutral to the two black wires. The earth, if the fitting has one should be connected to the earth wires.

 

[Johnmelad]

Connect the light fitting live to the single black wire (which should be marked red) and the light fitting neutral to the two black wires. The earth, if the fitting has one should be connected to the earth wires.

That is what I would have said accept...

Before I even fiddled with this light it never worked properly, it would go dim when one of the other lights in the hall was switched on.