Any electricians here?

[PaulC7]

Need help with a new light fitting that keeps blowing a fuse.

 

[the snooper]

there are a few, post your problem

 

[PaulC7]

Decided to change a bedroom light from the normal one to a fancy thing with 4 50W lights and fit a dimmer too.

I was expecting to have three wires from the ceiling but found nine, 3 black 3 red 3 bare.

After looking things over it was clear they were connected to each other then to the light so after disconnecting the old I fitted the new with the wires joins the same way, I then fitted the dimmer.

With the mains back on, flicking the switch on resulted in the light staying on for a few seconds before tripping out just the fuse for the lights throughout the house.

Second attempt had sparks and smoke coming from dimmer for a second before tripping again.

Refitted old switch and it kept tripping out when switched on so switched it off reset the fuse and the light is on with the switch in the off position.

 

[ford34/2]

First,was the Dimmer rating suitable for the 4 X 50W bulbs?? and they are 240 V

Stan

 

[brightspark]

the 3 reds go together to a conector and go nowhere the 3 bare are earth wires and need green and yellow sleeving on .chances are u have knacked the switch put a new on. one. of the blacks will be a switched live from the switch keep them parted .get a neon tester screwdriver and get someone to turn the switch on and off a few times when the lighting circuit is powered up .touch all 3 blacks one at a time with test screwdriver whichever lights up and goes on and off when switch is operated that is the switched wire . keep that seperate . conect the other 2 blacks together , your new light brown wire goes to the single black switch wire and the blue from light goes to the 2 conected blacks and the earths to earth on fitting here a simple diagram http://uk.ask.com/fr?q=ceiling+light+wiring diagram&desturi=http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/lights_and_switches.htm&desturihash=24ef2f9888da00a9d49b291d05b7c2aa20163f73fbb60284b907d7654d7c080eb24760923b30e2fae01de902711419fcd9af4dd692a14570abdda04a565545b2&initialURL=http://uk.ask.com/pictures?q=ceiling%2Blight%2Bwiring+diagram&qsrc=24&fm=i&ac=24&fsel=1&ftURI=http://uk.ask.com/frTop?q=ceiling%2Blight%2Bwiring+diagram&desturi=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diydoctor.org.uk%2Fprojects%2Flights_and_switches.htm&desturihash=24ef2f9888da00a9d49b291d05b7c2aa20163f73fbb60284b907d7654d7c080eb24760923b30e2fae01de902711419fcd9af4dd692a14570abdda04a565545b2&initialURL=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.ask.com%2Fpictures%3Fq%3Dceiling%252Blight%252Bwiring%2Bdiagram%26qsrc%3D24&imagesrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diydoctor.org.uk%2Fproject_images%2Flights_and_switches%2Fceilingroseb2.jpg&thumbsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia3.picsearch.com%2Fis%3Fpg893v7jLeL3Infs6xfYuRZr2ruFG0rHkYCvEuuBQaY&o=8263&l=dir&thumbuselocalisedstatic=false&thumbwidth=89&thumbheight=128&fn=ceilingroseb2.jpg&imagewidth=343&imageheight=345&fs=44&f=2&fm=i&fsel=1&qt= not that i go on such a site

 

[the snooper]

this has to be the most common mistake people make when fitting new lights

 

[ukracer]

this has to be the most common mistake people make when fitting new lights

To be honest one I would make also.. lol

 

[brightspark]

To be honest one I would make also.. lol

its an easy mistake to make, i dont mind helping people get stuff sorted rather than sitting on a soap box quoting regulations and spouting a load of guff i make mistakes in other fields and need digging out of the sh ,.,.t . the bloke who never made a mistake never made anything

 

[Welderpaul]

Ours are all nicely done with twin brown and easy to change over....I still always take a photo of the old fitting before changing to the new one...just in case.

Stair two way switches were wired wrongly though, and obviously not tested.....I suppose two blokes having to second fix 2 houses in a day to make the job pay are going to make mistakes.

 

[brightspark]

Ours are all nicely done with twin brown and easy to change over....I still always take a photo of the old fitting before changing to the new one...just in case.

Stair two way switches were wired wrongly though, and obviously not tested.....I suppose two blokes having to second fix 2 houses in a day to make the job pay are going to make mistakes.[/quote putting subcontractors on a bare fixed price is a recipe for shoddy work . quicker the finish more pay slower is less pay . so something has to give . i prefer a happy medium and price acordingly and still get the work

 

[rtbcomp]

The earth conductor was used on the lights in my house to carry one of the lives in a 2 way setup.

Luckily the guy I bought the house off was a fireman.

 

[ukracer]

its an easy mistake to make, i dont mind helping people get stuff sorted rather than sitting on a soap box quoting regulations and spouting a load of guff i make mistakes in other fields and need digging out of the sh ,.,.t . the bloke who never made a mistake never made anything

I have made a few in my life...lol

 

[ukracer]

The earth conductor was used on the lights in my house to carry one of the lives in a 2 way setup.

Luckily the guy I bought the house off was a fireman.

Nothing wrong with Firemen.....

 

[PaulC7]

So connect reds together but not connected to new light

Connect all earth to light

Find 1 black switched live

Connect two black together... Then to new light?


What's confused me is why 9 wires and not 3, the more you read the more baffling it gets and I'm one to get very frustrated when I can't make sense of stuff

 

[BrokenBiker]

bit late on this one but as said above its easy to make a mistake, especially when your house is wired up with red and black and your putting in new units with brown and blue, i have done a few jobs where someone has had a go and connected things up wrong.

last one was a ceiling fan bought off eBay

 

[Robotstar5]

So connect reds together but not connected to new light

Connect all earth to light just connect earths together, NOT to light

Find 1 black switched live connect to brown on new light

Connect two black together... Then to blue on new light?

Link to diagram - here

 

[PaulC7]

Ceiling fans is what the missus wants fitting next but I think I'm going to leave it for someone else.

 

[gaz1]

ive also known a brand new bought from the shop 3 light fitting to be wired up wrongly inside of it no matter what wiring way that you choose it blew the fuses it took taking the whole unit apart and checking each fitting to make sure it was wired up correctly hence when the problem was found was a manufactor wired problem from day one

 

[ukracer]

the 3 reds go together to a conector and go nowhere the 3 bare are earth wires and need green and yellow sleeving on .chances are u have knacked the switch put a new on. one. of the blacks will be a switched live from the switch keep them parted .get a neon tester screwdriver and get someone to turn the switch on and off a few times when the lighting circuit is powered up .touch all 3 blacks one at a time with test screwdriver whichever lights up and goes on and off when switch is operated that is the switched wire . keep that seperate . conect the other 2 blacks together , your new light brown wire goes to the single black switch wire and the blue from light goes to the 2 conected blacks and the earths to earth on fitting here a simple diagram

Is this because he has a two way switch. (one in each part of the room for instance?? i.e one switches it on and off the other does the same .

 

[piman]

Hello Paul,

"What's confused me is why 9 wires and not 3,"

normal practice is to daisy chain all the lights together, i.e., live from the switchboard to the rose, another live then goes on to the next room, the third live goes to the switch of the first room. The same with the neutral, one from the switchboard to the rose, one from the rose to the next room and the third going to the switch to return the live to the lamp. Same with the earth wires, that is you nine ends.

Alec