Blown Kitchen Lights - help

[diyt]

bought 2 x 12v spot lights which are also dimmers when you touch them
so turned fuse box light trip switch off
connected first light ok and it worked fine as just usual 3 wires out of ceiling (red live, black neutral and earth)
but on second light there were lots of wires comming out of the ceiling
the usual 3 (red, black and earth) but in addition to 4 reds, 4 blacks and 4 earths javascript:emoticon('')
so I just connected the usual 3 (red, black and earth) to the second light and tripped the fuse box switch back on ok

BUT when I turned the light switch on it popped and the fuse box trip for the lights tripped off
after this the fuse box trip switch for the lights would not allow me to switch it back on
so I connected the additonal 4 black and 4 earth to the usual black and earth (and left the 4 red unattached to anything) and then the fuse box trip for the lights would at least go back on

HOWEVER when I switch the kitchen light switch on - nothing happens - no lights no pop no nothing
I know I have blown something but don't know what - help

 

[Taylortwocities]

So you don't understand how lighting circuits work then.

Please see the WIKI. This is a resonable place to start: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

More specifically: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:rose

 

[wingcoax]

As you obviously know nothing about what you are trying to do (except maybe kill yourself) get someone in who does to put things right. As the wires are now all out of connections it would be pointless trying to explain how to put it right.

 

[securespark]

I wouldn't be that harsh.

Use the links posted by TTC to understand how your light is wired.

It's just a case of identifying each cable. Some will be feeds in & out, another will go to the switch and another to the second fitting.

You need a multimeter to help you.

Oh, and work safely.

 

[diyt]

I know enough to to handle the usual 3 wires (red, black and earth) but am just baffled by the other wires. I just need someone to confirm to me what to do with them
At the moment the 4 extra black and 4 extra earths are joining to the usual black and earth respectively and the 4 extra red just go into a plastic holder - this is the same as advised on link //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive
but the light still does not work

I think the circuit must be ok as all the other lights on the loop work which is why I think I have maybe blown something in just the kithen, either the switch or the actual light
can I blow a switch beyond repair? can I blow the light fitting considering this is a touchable dimmer light maybe its easy to blow? the fitting holds 12v spots I have changed one of the bulbs but it still doesn't work so doubt I have blown the bulb - is there a fuse I should be lookign for?

 

[ColJack]

are you saying that you have 5 cables comming out of the ceiling?
5 red, 5 black, 5 earth in total..?

one of those blacks is the switched live.. not a neutral..

you need to identify which one..

 

[diyt]

yes thats it - I know which are the switch ones as they are separate from the loop and in/outs
I think what I did wrong was put the red switch one in the light live instead of with the other loop and in/out red ones and the switch black in with the other blacks into the light neutral
I think I have to put the switch red in with the other reds and leave them and put the switch black into the light live and other in/out and loop blacks into the light neutral - what do you think?
I think this is it following the diagram on the link I was given
silly me thought you just put red to red and black to black

 

[ColJack]

you can't say for certain that the 5 reds are all loop ins..
one or more of them might be switched live links to other lights..

do any other lights come on with this one ( or are supposed to.. )

did you not take a photo before removing the wires from the old light?
or even do a pen and paper drawing so you know what goes where?

no body ever does.. and then wonders why the new light keeps blowing the fuses...

post photo's of what you have at the light..
and info on what other lights are on with this one..

 

[diyt]

just thought I would mention I fixed it
thanks Taylortwocities! you are right I didn't know how light works but luckily I can follow a diagram so I do now
thanks also to anyone else who was nice and kept me from calling an electrician for such a simple job
to those who thought I would fail - how do you ever learn to diy if you don't at least give it a try
this website is the bees!

 

[wingcoax]

Congratulations on sorting it out, sorry if i sounded a bit hard but at first you didnt seem to have a clue but you seem to have a bit of knowledge.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Another satisfied customer!