Lighting

[lheath]

Hi,

I replaced the light in my front room. After changing the light all the rest of the lights in my flat have now stopped working apart from my hall light. The only things I touched was the wiring for the light in the front room and the fuse box. Would anyone have any idea why the rest of my lights are not working now?

Thanks

Lucy

 

[Spark123]

At a guess you have done something wrong with the wires in the new light - can you post a photo of the wiring in the new light?

 

[lheath]

Hi, I did wire it wrong to start with but it should be wired correctly now. I could try and put a picture on here but not until tomorrow as i'm at work. It was quite complicated to wire as I had 3 sets of wires in the ceiling. Each wire had a live (red), Earth (Yellow&green) and neutral (Black). I found out which of the neutrals was the switch wire and wired this in as the live. I then wired the other 2 neutrals in as the neutral and the the 3 earths in the earth section. The 3 live (red) wires I wired into a spare box. I assume this is all correct? Could it possibly be causing the rest of the lights to stop working then?

 

[flameport]

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

What you have described sounds correct, so you must have the switch wires mixed up with the others, or the connections are loose.

 

[lheath]

Hi thanks for the that link it was really helpful. The only thing I can see that I haven't done as they said is to keep the 3 red wires together. I have just wired them separately into a block. Could it possibly be that?

 

[flameport]

If you have the 3 live wires separate, that is the problem. They need to be connected together.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It was quite complicated to wire as I had 3 sets of wires in the ceiling.

That's not complicated - it's perfectly normal and probably by far and away the most common system used in houses in this country.

If you found it complicated you should have studied it more until it became blindingly obvious and simple.

Each wire had a live (red), Earth (Yellow&green) and neutral (Black).

No it didn't.

I found out which of the neutrals was the switch wire

A switched live is NOT a neutral.

I assume this is all correct? Could it possibly be causing the rest of the lights to stop working then?

Do you have a multimeter?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi thanks for the that link it was really helpful. The only thing I can see that I haven't done as they said is to keep the 3 red wires together. I have just wired them separately into a block. Could it possibly be that?

What made you think it was OK for you to do electrical work when you must realise that you know absolutely nothing?

 

[lheath]

Hi Flameport thanks for your help that's great.

 

[lheath]

Hi ban all sheds, thank you for all your non helpful comments. No I do know nothing about electrical work and that is why I am trying to help some on here!!!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1) Some of my comments were to correct some mistaken impressions of yours, and to increase your knowledge.

2) Asking here after the event, as and when you screw up is NOT the way to properly learn what you should know BEFORE you start.

 

[Taylortwocities]

lheath, don't feel too bad. There's at least one person every weekend that does just what you have done.

If the replies you've had seem a little barbed its because we get fed up answering the same question over and over again. Especially when the info to solve it is in the handy FAQ and WIKI sections of this forum.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or if the problem would never have arisen in the first place if someone hadn't thought it was perfectly OK to dive in despite being fully aware that they knew nothing....

 

[lheath]

Flameport - that's spot on, thanks for your help.
Ban-all-shed - the diagram within the instructions was misleading to put it mildly. The ambiguity between black being neutral, but live in the context of the switched live wiring was what we found confusing. The only problem we encountered was wiring the 3 red wires into separate terminals in the block. What your issue is, God only knows!? If you're so grumpy, miserable and patronising that you find it appropriate to speak to people in the manner you do I suggest you do it outside a pub in Newcastle at kicking out time wearing a 'I HATE Shearer' t-shirt. It's very easy being brave through a keyboard isn't it?
Good night x

 

[ColJack]

It makes me feel dirty to have to do this again, but BAS is perfectly valid in his views...

you tried to bodge it without the correct knowledge, messed it up and THEN decided to come here and ask what you did wrong and how to fix it..

would you change the brake shoes on your car, THEN have a look in the haynes manual AFTER you've crashed into the wall at the end of your road because you didn't do it right?