Light not working

[Dav0s]

My hall light is not working. Basically it stopped working a while back when my friend incorrectly wired up the ceiling rose in the lounge. After he had done this, the hall light did not work, but a certain combination of the hall light and lounge light switches made both lights come on dimmed.

I did some research into this issue, discovered it was due to my lounge ceiling rose being incorrectly wired, and found out how to rewire it correctly. So I've now bought a multimeter, tested for the switched live, and I believe wired up the ceiling rose correctly. I put the switched live in the live terminal, the other switch wire in the loop, the other 2 lives in the loop and the other 2 neutrals in the neutral block. (6 wires total)

But my hall light is still not working. I've tried changing the bulb again, but I'm now out of ideas!

Can somebody please tell me if I've either incorrectly wired the ceiling rose, or if not what is my next step to identify the problem? If any steps involve using a multimeter, please explain as if I've never used one before (because as of last week I hadn't!)

Thanks in advance

 

[Steve]

Can you put up pictures of your wiring?

 

[Dav0s]

Well I can create a picture of my lounge ceiling rose wiring if you like, but I'm not sure what information it would contain in addition to what I've already said. What else would you want to see on the image?

 

[EFLImpudence]

a certain combination of the hall light and lounge light switches made both lights come on dimmed.

Have you put this back to how it was when it worked?

 

[EFLImpudence]

it stopped working a while back when my friend incorrectly wired up the ceiling rose in the lounge.

After he had done this, the hall light did not work, but

a certain combination of the hall light and lounge light switches made both lights come on dimmed.

Did it not seem obvious that it would have been better to correct your friends wiring?

 

[bernardgreen]

It is possible that during the messed up wiring the switch for the hall light was damaged by being put across life and neutral and causing a dead short whichh will damage the contacts. If operating the switch caused the fuse to blow ( or MCB to trip ) during the work your friend was doing then a damage switch is most likely.

 

[Dav0s]

Have you put this back to how it was when it worked?

sorry that was probably unclear - i meant a combination of the switch positions, not the switch wiring. The switch wiring is unchanged.

Although I should also say that the lounge switch is a 2 way switch, although there is only 1 switch in the room. Is this switch somehow connected to my hall light, or is it more likely that the other lunge switch has been removed at some point?[/quote]

 

[333rocky333]

you aint said what terminals you connected the hall light to

 

[Dav0s]

you aint said what terminals you connected the hall light to

Well I'm assuming that the hall lights circuit is part of my ceiling rose wiring, in which case I guess I have connected the Live to the Loop terminal, and the neutral to the neutral terminal.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I put the switched live in the live terminal, the other switch wire in the loop, the other 2 lives in the loop and the other 2 neutrals in the neutral block. (6 wires total)

That would seem to be correct.

Could you have one wire which is not actually connected properly

Although I should also say that the lounge switch is a 2 way switch, although there is only 1 switch in the room. Is this switch somehow connected to my hall light,

It will be - by the loop lives and neutrals.

or is it more likely that the other lounge switch has been removed at some point?

No, probably not, not with only two wires at the switch. Two way switches can be used as one way.


Is the hall light nearer the consumer unit than the lounge?
The answer will not be conclusive but it may help.

 

[Dav0s]

Could you have one wire which is not actually connected properly

I checked, and it does not appear so.

No, probably not, not with only two wires at the switch. Two way switches can be used as one way.

There are more than two wires at the switch. 5 to be exact. If this matters in any way.

Is the hall light nearer the consumer unit than the lounge?
The answer will not be conclusive but it may help.

Rather unhelpfully, they are probably about the same distance. The CU is in the cupboard under the stairs, accessible from the lounge, and the hall light in question is at the bottom of the stairs.

Thanks for the response.

 

[EFLImpudence]

There are more than two wires at the switch. 5 to be exact. If this matters in any way.

If they are all connected to the lounge light switch that would indicate a two-way system so anything could have happened to the other switch.

It would not normally affect the rose wiring but somebody could have done something odd.


More work with the meter required to follow the wiring and determine what has gone wrong.
Check for 240V L-E and neutral continuity N-E at the hall light first.

 

[333rocky333]

you aint said what terminals you connected the hall light to

Well I'm assuming that the hall lights circuit is part of my ceiling rose wiring, in which case I guess I have connected the Live to the Loop terminal, and the neutral to the neutral terminal.

Sorry misread that, didnt notice you were on about the lounge connections stopping the hall light working

I think bernard may have misread to, as the lounge rose wired wrong shouldnt really short the hall switch.

 

[bernardgreen]

I keep an open mind when trying to remotely diagnose faults. Often vital information is not given as the informant doesn't realise it is necessary.

Maybe the friend tried to fault find the non working hall light and made changes there as well.