PROBLEMS INSTALLING A NEW LIGHT

chiggins · 19 Jan 2010

Hi guys.

Here's my dilema : I am in the process of installing a cloakroom in my house. I have fitted a new 'spotlight' arrangement in the room (240V c/w halogen bulbs). I have positioned the new switch for the light outside the cloakroom (typical 10 amp single switch).

i have run a spur from a double socket in the sitting room through a 5amp fused outlet to the switch. Unknown to me I had left the new switch in the 'on' position when I turned the power back on the new lights came on. When I tried turning the switch off there was a blue flash in the switch and the light went off - unfortunately it never came back on again when i tried it. I checked the main fuse box and the 'sockets' breaker had tripped so i reset it. Tried the light switch again but no lights ! I tried changing the fuse in the fused outlet on the spur but nothing.

The strange thing is that every now and then when i turned the power off and played about with changing fuses and switching the light switch the light would work when i turned the power on - but only when the switch was in the 'on' position, i.e if I turn the light off i can never use the switch to turn it on again !! Is it as simple as replacing the swicth to rectify this issue ?

thanks in advance

RF Lighting · 19 Jan 2010

No. You have connected something wrong.

We need some detailed descriptions of how everything is connected, or even better would be a couple of photos.

Did you take the feed from the FCU to the light and drop a socond cable to the switch, or did you take the feed to the switch and then take a switched live and neutral to the fitting from there?

chiggins · 19 Jan 2010

Hi,

I took the feed (1.5mm twin and earth) from the fused outlet straight to the new light switch (brown cable from fused outlet into light switch 'common' and blue cable into switch 'L1') and then a separate 1.5mm twin and earth cable from the new light switch into the light fitting (brown cable from switch 'common' to light fitting and blue cable from light switch 'L1' to light fitting).

Chri5 · 19 Jan 2010

Should be something like

L- N- E from socket to 'supply' side of f/spur. L- N- E from 'load' side of spur to light switch. Put L on switch, then Switched L- N- E from switch to light fitting.

Fuse at f/spur 3a.

BS3036 · 19 Jan 2010

In the switch the 2 blues should be connected together using a choc block, and not connected to anything else. The 2 browns left go into L1 and COM respectively.

BS3036 · 19 Jan 2010

Also note that the earth wires need to be sleeved green/yellow and connected up so the earth is continuous, connected to the metal box, and available in the light fitting in a choc block if not used there.

chiggins · 19 Jan 2010

BS3036

The switch isn't housed in a metal box with an earth connection - its in one of those plastic cavity wall boxes used for griupping the plasterboard - hence the earth isn't connected to anything at the moment.

should i change the box to a metal one ?

Regarding the 2 browns, i assume the one from the supply goes into the common and the one from the light into L1 ???

ban-all-sheds · 19 Jan 2010

chiggins said:
I took the feed (1.5mm twin and earth) from the fused outlet straight to the new light switch (brown cable from fused outlet into light switch 'common' and blue cable into switch 'L1') and then a separate 1.5mm twin and earth cable from the new light switch into the light fitting (brown cable from switch 'common' to light fitting and blue cable from light switch 'L1' to light fitting).

In the interests of safety, before you do any more electrical work, please take the trouble to learn about it first - with your current lack of knowledge of even the most basic things, like what a switch does, the difference between live and neutral, what current is etc, next time you could kill someone.

chiggins · 19 Jan 2010

ban-all-sheds.

I appreciate the concerns but the only person I'm likely to kill is myslef unless I get the correct advice so your help would be appreciated. If what i have explained is totally incorrect then some guidance would be welcomed.

chiggins · 19 Jan 2010

All,

thanks for your feedback. I have just been shown the errors of my way and the problem is sorted. Quite embarrassed by it to be honest...........as they say, its easy when you know how !!!

thanks again.

Taylortwocities · 19 Jan 2010

Glad you are sorted.
I was jsut musing as to why you put the switch outside the door?

securespark · 19 Jan 2010

chiggins said:
Hi,

I took the feed (1.5mm twin and earth) from the fused outlet straight to the new light switch (brown cable from fused outlet into light switch 'common' and blue cable into switch 'L1') and then a separate 1.5mm twin and earth cable from the new light switch into the light fitting (brown cable from switch 'common' to light fitting and blue cable from light switch 'L1' to light fitting).

So you have both live and neutral wires attached to a single pole switch?

EDIT: Sorry..my usual trick of not reading the whole thread before posting...

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PROBLEMS INSTALLING A NEW LIGHT

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