12 Wires to connect to kitchen fitment? (silly attempt &

[Davinia]

HELP! I have attempted replacing my kitchen fitment and now no lights work apart from my bedroom! I know I should call in a pro but skint what with xmas..... I had a fluorescent strip light kitchen fitment before and took it off the wiring from ceiling revealed 12 wires 4 black 4 red and 4 yellow/green. In the old fitment only 4 black and 4 red were wired up. I bought the new fitment from ikea which is a circular plate with 4 halogen bulbs from it. I wired all 12 wires in (I think where they should go) and hey presto light worked but fused all lights when I turned it off at the switch (which is 1 way) so I tried it different ways 1 wire in each, 2 wires etc and it didn\\\'t work. Also tried leaving different wires out on switch..... Anyway last attempt just rewired it with all 12 in and it blew lights so I now have no lighting!!!!! HELP!!! (on 1 attempt noticed lounge and hall lights flashing...) Would appreciate any suggestions!!!

Thanks!

 

[JohnD]

light worked but fused all lights when I turned it off at the switch

This sounds like a common mistake. You have probably connected the switch wires into all the others.

If you can lay your hands on a multimeter we can talk you through it. If not it is possible to do it with a battery and torchbulb, but more difficult.

A multimeter will cost you about £8 in the high street. If you set out now you can probably get to B&Q before they shut.

Areall the cable sheaths exactly the same? Grey or white PVC each containing a red, a balck, and a bare sheathed with G&Y?

Do you have rewirable fuses, or fuse cartridges, or MCBs that trip off until you push them back?

Is the light switch a pull cord or a tumbler/rocker?

 

[Spark123]

//wiki.diynot.com/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

Beaten by JohnD!!

 

[JohnD]

Hee hee

p.s. if going to B&Q also buy a strip connector "chocblock" 6Amp for lighting. You may need this to collect all the wires together.

Also buy an inspection lamp/wander lamp to work by if you have not already got one. You can use a table lamp/standard lamp instead if you have one.

 

[Davinia]

Thanx for your speedy reply... think I have MCB switch (for fuse) that comes back on when flick it back up. The switch on wall is not a pull cord it is a white plastic normal switch..... No idea about this stuff, not sure if I'll make it to B&Q now................. I'm such an idiot changed all other sockets and switches ok but this is beyond me..... think I should call a pro in?!

Forgot to add 4 grey cable sheaths with one of each colour coming out...

 

[JohnD]

What you have got to do is to identify which is the cable that goes to the light switch. If they all look alike you will need a multimeter. It will probably take you between two minutes and half an hour to fix tomorrow.

If there is a late-night hardware store nearby you could try there for a multimeter. Otherwise buy one tomorrow and come back here.

 

[nozspark]

It sounds as if you have made a very common mistake. One of those sets of 3 wires goes to the switch (red to live and sleeved black as the switched live) so, does or did any of the black wires have a red marker on it?? If so that is the wire that goes to the terminal marked "L" on the fitting. All the reds should be connected together in a seperate terminal, all the other blacks should be connected to the "N" terminal on the fitting and all the green/yellows should be connected together and to the earth terminal on the fitting.

 

[JohnD]

 

[securespark]

My turn to grump.

Why do people never make a note of what goes where? And why do they attempt a job they are not sure of?

Human nature, maybe, but it sure gets my t*ts up!!

 

[nozspark]

Also will fiddle with electric but NEVER do plumbing, water gets you wet electricity kills...

 

[Davinia]

Have got multimeter and 5a chocblock...no 6a at B&Q only 3a 5a or 20a.... just going to eat kfc and be back......

Thank u so much....

Be back soon..............

 

[securespark]

Also will fiddle with electric but NEVER do plumbing, water gets you wet electricity kills...

Yeah, very true...

 

[JohnD]

5A is fine.

Have a look at the instructions (twice!) and set the meter to test for AC Volts, in a range which includes 250volts (this may be a 500v range). If you don't understand the instructions, come back here.

With the lighting circuit current "on" touch the copper conductor of each black with one probe, and each red with the other probe, and observe that the meter indicates about 230volts on some of them (this shows that the meter is working). Then turn the power off at the MCB, return to the light fitting and test between each red and each black; and between each red and the G/Y. There should be no voltage on any of them. This shows that you have made it safe.

Then, climb back down and set the meter to test "low ohms" or "resistance" or "continuity". You will need to turn the knob. You might need to re-plug one of the probes - the instructions will tell you.

Touch the two probes together and you should see the meter display change as it shows continuity or low resistance. Take the probes apart and the display will reset to normal. this shows that the meter is working. Get a felt-tip or fibre-tip pen. If you have it, also a scrap of red tape or masking tape that you can write on.

Now, take all the reds and all the blacks out of their connector blocks. Take one of the cables. Mark it "1" with your pen. Put the probes across the red and the black of that cable only. If the meter display changes, write down the reading for cable 1.

Take the next cable, mark it "2", test across the re and black, write down the reading.

Continue with all four cables.

Then operate the kitchen light switch and do then all again.

One of the cables will have a markedly different reading when you operate the light switch. All the others will be unchanged. The one that changes will be the switch cable. fasten your bit of red tape round the "black" core of this cable. Put masking tape on the grey sheath and write "switch" on it.

Come down from your stepladder, make yourself a cup of tea, then come back here and tell us how you did. The rest will be quite easy.

 

[Davinia]

ok i'm back.......... where do i start? will 5a chocblok be ok?

 

[JohnD]

you see... I can foretell the future