Replacing a dimmable kitchen light that had 9 wires

stephi

After falling for the common mistake of putting all the black wires together I followed this to the letter:
electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive
I replaced the dimmer switch with an old normal switch and it now works but the other ceiling lights that I presume were on the same loop still will not turn on.

Any ideas on what to do?
And if I bought a new dimmer switch for the original kitchen light will it work again??

Thanking you kindly.....

Spark123 · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:23 pm Post Subject:

Are the other lights that don't work on different switches or did they used to turn on with the original light?

stephi · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:52 pm Post Subject:

the kitchen ceiling light was the one that i replaced and now the upstairs hall light and 3 bedroom lights won't switch on. They are all on the same fuse I believe

stephi · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:54 pm Post Subject:

they are all separate switches - thanks so much for replying so quickly!

Spark123 · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 8:28 pm Post Subject:

Have you connected all of the red wires together and to nothing else?
The two blacks together with the N for the light?
Have you also checked the connections are nice and tight? Did you identify the switched live (black with a red stripe) with a multimeter? Is this now connected to the L for the light and to nothing else?

stephi · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:43 pm Post Subject:

The three reds are all together and have insulation tape around them. The black wire with a red band around it has been put in the L terminal and the remaining 2 blacks in the N terminal. They're screwed in as tight as we could get them and the light now works (last time it failed when we turned it off and never came back again). I changed the dimmer switch to a normal one to make sure it worked as well. All seemed fine then went to turn the lights on upstairs and nothing.

mdbalson · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:06 am Post Subject:

are the 3 reds just taped up, or in a terminal block & then taped up

securespark · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:29 am Post Subject:

Both floors of lighting are on the same circuit??

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

stephi · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:15 am Post Subject:

mdbalson- yes the 3 reds are in a connector and taped up

securespark - apparently so. The house has some strange set ups and that's one of them. The loft and hallway are on one fuse, the dining room and lounge on the ground floor are on one floor but the kitchen light is on the same one as the upstairs bedrooms.

Spark123 · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:29 pm Post Subject:

Do you have rewirable fuses? Can you check them with a multimeter to confirm the fuse wire hasn't blown / snapped?

stephi · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:39 pm Post Subject:

No we have safety circuit breakers

fireman22 · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:03 pm Post Subject:

open up the three red make sure they are all secure and none have snapped off or gone down the side of the connector block. do the same with the two neutrals

Steve · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:08 pm Post Subject:

stephi wrote:

No we have safety circuit breakers

Dont call them that - they do the same job as a fuse. They are marginally safer than fuses under certain circumstances.

stephi · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:08 pm Post Subject:

Would that not affect the actual light the wires are in though (in this case the kitchen light) as that is working - it's just the other lights which are on the same fuse that aren't??
I'll certainly go and check though

fireman22 · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:14 pm Post Subject:

no if the kitchen is the first and other lights are after this then if the live or neutral is loose they wont work