loft lighting

[br2007]

Hi Guys, I know this topic has ben covered a few times, but I'm having a few probs with putting a flourescent strip in my loft. I have done the following:

connected into existing lighting circuit via junction box, all reds to reds, blacks to blacks etc, have ran a feed to the new switch in the loft.

At the switch I have connected the brown 'live' to the 'C' on the swich and the blue 'neutral' to choc block.

I have ran cable from the flu. strip and connected the brown to 'L1' and the blue to the choc block.

Nothing happened when the juice went back on, I tried connecting the brown to 'L2' instead of 'L1' but still nothing.

have I done this totally wrong ?All the lighting is still on in the house. Am I right in presuming the red cable in a lighting circuit is live and black is neutral or I may have done the junction box wrong.

Thanks for your help......

 

[aptsys]

What you have done at the switch sounds fine (although you've neglected to mention anything about the CPC's).

Are you sure you've not spliced into a switch wire rather than the mains feed to your lighting circuit?

 

[Chri5]

Has the lamp fitting got a starter ??

If so, make sure it's in, with a twist.

 

[br2007]

Thanks for the replies, I have now connected straight into the bathroom ceiling rose (which is working)...still nothing, I've connected a ceiling pendant instead of the strip and still nothing, maybe the switch, will change that next...yeah I turned the starter !...

 

[MasterAbacus]

Easy answer....

Try turning on the light you tapped into, and then turn on you new switch....

Sounds to me like you taken live from an already switched live at the existing lights... and not from the feed side from the origonal switch.

Make sence?

 

[MasterAbacus]

Also dont soppose youve got a multimeter, or testing gear to know exactly where you pre switched lives are? and i dont mean a glowing screwdriver kind of thing....... Something propper like a Fluke tester....

If you going to be playing with the electrics, then its worth every penny to buy a few bits of testing gear.... saves hours... oh and not to mention the odd shock!!!!!!!

 

[br2007]

MasterAbacus, thats exactly what I did, now all working...has only taken 7 hours !!!. cheers everyone