Bit of a long shot - help for funny problem

WabbitPoo · 29 Oct 2010

just had new kitchen done. some extra lights added, three-way dimming included. When he had finished it all seemed to be fine, but now I realise that they switch off when the light in the next room is switched on! Sounds like my sort of wiring!

I am tracking him down, but in the mean time, is there likely you could predict what has been done in error? I cant get pics right now, so I realise its a long shot...........

1john · 29 Oct 2010

Did you have any paper work for the electrical work, any certificates, were building control informed. Are you aware of Part P of the building regulations, did the kitchen fitter mention it to you, did the kitchen fitter get an electrician in to do the work?

RF Lighting · 29 Oct 2010

Have you ar your electrician recently replaced the light switch in the next room? or has the only room that has been touched electrically been your kitchen?

Are your lights as bright as you'd expected them to be, or ar they fairly dim even with the dimmers turned to full?

WabbitPoo · 29 Oct 2010

RF Lighting said:
Have you ar your electrician recently replaced the light switch in the next room? or has the only room that has been touched electrically been your kitchen?

Are your lights as bright as you'd expected them to be, or ar they fairly dim even with the dimmers turned to full?

the lights each have three 40w bulbs in them, which flicker a bit unless on full power.

spark is qualified and i have the cert.

ericmark · 29 Oct 2010

Neutral and switched line wire switched most likely cause. Not a mistake a professional should make although common with DIY'ers. Which makes one ask about paperwork of course as one wonders how a pro makes that mistake.

WabbitPoo · 30 Oct 2010

Yes, one does wonder. One is realising that one's tradesmen are not all they are cracked up to be and that one will, in future, ignore all advice and do it one's self.

However, as said professional is now off sick I'd like to get it sorted out if it is such a simple error. Is there a reasonably easy way to find out what the feck he has screwed up? I have a two gang dimmer, an intermediate dimmer and another dimmer, all supposedly working in partnership (which they do, so long as I dont turn on the light in the study)

One should add that one's lights were working fine before he got his hands on them.

1john · 30 Oct 2010

are the kitchen and dining room switches back to back or near enough back to back?

sparkwright · 30 Oct 2010

It would be easiest to show photos or diagrams of the switches/light fittings.

riveralt · 30 Oct 2010

Not tried linking dimmers in two or three way situations - can it be done?

I thought that for push button dimmers combinations there would be problems with their total resistance and the net result would be like wiring lights in series.

Scoter1066 · 30 Oct 2010

WabbitPoo said:
Yes, one does wonder. One is realising that one's tradesmen are not all they are cracked up to be and that one will, in future, ignore all advice and do it one's self.

However, as said professional is now off sick I'd like to get it sorted out if it is such a simple error. Is there a reasonably easy way to find out what the f**k he has screwed up? I have a two gang dimmer, an intermediate dimmer and another dimmer, all supposedly working in partnership (which they do, so long as I dont turn on the light in the study)

One should add that one's lights were working fine before he got his hands on them.

Unless I just went completely mad and all that I learned was wrong, at least one of the switches either end should be a simple on off switch, shouldn't it?

securespark · 31 Oct 2010

Unless the dimmers are a Master and 2 Slaves.

We'll have to wait and see.

But even if the dimming set-up was wrong, I can't see that causing the next room's light being energised to affect the kitchen lighting.

WabbitPoo · 31 Oct 2010

yep, master and slaves. I may have the chance to open all up and get some pics today. No, the room that gives rise to the problem is two rooms away.

This is inside the 3-gang plate - the left hand switch is the one concerned with the errant lighting.

This is what WAS the intermediate switch (when the system was working)

and this is the other end

WabbitPoo · 31 Oct 2010

Just an update. I opened up the wall switch in the other room (the one that, when switched on, causes the new kitchen-diner lights to go off). It is a two way switch (in a room with one light and no other switch). There are two black into L1 and L2 and one red wire in the middle (common, I assume). Having worked out which one was the switched live to the office light, I then found that when the light switch is on, the other black wire becomes dead, and the kitchen lights go out. It looks like the latter is getting a feed from the office light (but why use a black wire...?). As a test I connected this black to the live feed red to the office socket and of course, the kitchen lights are fine.

That's how they are right now. Anyone able to shed some "light" on the subject?

1john · 31 Oct 2010

well the one that turns dead when the light is on needs to be connected to the perm live at the switch, hence my asking if the switches are back to back or near enough.

That wiring wasnt dont by a sparky, is so he is rough as a badgers behind.

Cant see and CPC's either

WabbitPoo · 31 Oct 2010

1john said:
well the one that turns dead when the light is on needs to be connected to the perm live at the switch, hence my asking if the switches are back to back or near enough.

Which is what I have done, if I understand you correctly. The two switches are not on the same wall or even especially close.

1john said:
That wiring wasnt dont by a sparky, is so he is rough as a badgers behind.

Well he appears to be a real one - at least, he felt able to write me out a certificate......

1john said:
Cant see and CPC's either

I don't know what that sentence means.

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Bit of a long shot - help for funny problem

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