Lights will not switch off

[breezer]

i will put my money on the timer being set wrong, look at the pic, the red override switch isat the bottom of its position, i think it should be at the top

 

[kendor]

ok try this, make sure the circuit is dead then disconnect the yellow wire from the timer make the end safe then turn on the circuit again do the lights still glow?

 

[stevedo]

ok useful bit of info given so it's just the 3 x 60 w incandescent lamps then on the timer?

Correct

 

[kendor]

i will put my money on the timer being set wrong, look at the pic, the red override switch isat the bottom of its position, i think it should be at the top

That would suggest the switch isn't in circuit then as he was unable to switch off the lights? regardless of an overide on the timer itself

 

[kendor]

ok useful bit of info given so it's just the 3 x 60 w incandescent lamps then on the timer?

Correct

definitely incandescent and not energy savers?

 

[stevedo]

i will put my money on the timer being set wrong, look at the pic, the red override switch isat the bottom of its position, i think it should be at the top

Thats because I've been trying to figure out what's going on. The little red switch was at the top (1) position.

I should also point out that this setup was working fine until a couple of days ago when we noticed that the lights did not turn off automatically as they had been.

 

[stevedo]

ok useful bit of info given so it's just the 3 x 60 w incandescent lamps then on the timer?

Correct

definitely incandescent and not energy savers?

Definitely not energy savers, just Philips 60W ES.

 

[stevedo]

ok try this, make sure the circuit is dead then disconnect the yellow wire from the timer make the end safe then turn on the circuit again do the lights still glow?

Disconnected yellow from timer, turned circuit on and lights STILL on!

 

[kendor]

It might be my eyesight but does the terminal with the blue wire on the timer say L or 4?

 

[kendor]

ok try this, make sure the circuit is dead then disconnect the yellow wire from the timer make the end safe then turn on the circuit again do the lights still glow?

Disconnected yellow from timer, turned circuit on and lights STILL on!

That proves that the switch is not an overide off then! at least at the moment.

 

[stevedo]

It might be my eyesight but does the terminal with the blue wire on the timer say L or 4?

It does look a little like that, I've just checked and it is actually 4

 

[Paul_C]

It might be my eyesight but does the terminal with the blue wire on the timer say L or 4?

It says 4. I have the same type of Smiths timer on my water heater.

Connections, left to right are:

1. Switched live out.
2. Neutral (linked internally to #4)
3. Earth
4. Neutral.
5. Live supply.

 

[stevedo]

ok try this, make sure the circuit is dead then disconnect the yellow wire from the timer make the end safe then turn on the circuit again do the lights still glow?

Disconnected yellow from timer, turned circuit on and lights STILL on!

That proves that the switch is not an overide off then!

That begs the question what does the switch do then?

 

[kendor]

does the timer still work now the yellow is disconnected? can you hear the motor whirring?

 

[Paul_C]

Disconnected yellow from timer, turned circuit on and lights STILL on!

In that case there is a short on the wiring somewhere else on the circuit. Time to find where that cable goes!