Electrical Interfence When Dimmer Switched On

[JohnW2]

Do you mean put the live and neutral wires for the cabinet dimmer into the same terminal such as L1?

They are not 'live and neutral' but, in fact, 'live' and 'switched live' - but, yes, put both the brown and blue ones of the cabinet dimmer into its L1 (i.e. join them together, electrically).

Kind Regards, John

 

[BF]

They are not 'live and neutral' but, in fact, 'live' and 'switched live' - but, yes, put both the brown and blue ones of the cabinet dimmer into its L1 (i.e. join them together, electrically).

Kind Regards, John

I'll go and try it now. If you don't hear back assume the worse

On 2nd thoughts I'll get my wife to switch it back on

 

[BF]

I'm ALIVE!

Done that, cabinet lights permanently on but no arcing.
What can be concluded from this?

 

[JohnW2]

I'm ALIVE! Done that, cabinet lights permanently on but no arcing. What can be concluded from this?

That I'm a bit confused!

By taking the dimmer out of circuit, and thereby getting rid of the noises, you have demonstrated that the dimmer is at least partially implicated - but, as I said, that alone could not really explain the arcing/noises.

I'll continue thinking - but, in the meantime, maybe others will have some ideas!

Kind Regards, John

 

[BF]

I've now switched the wires around so that the dimmer controlling the spots now controls the cabinet lights and vice versa. Now when I switch on what was the spots dimmer I'm gettig the arcing whereas before I got the arcing when I activated the cabinet dimmer.

This now seems that it might be a wiring issue. I think!

I need daylight so that I can properly look at the ceiling rose again and I'll also try another dimmer switch. Failing that a sparky.

Thanks again to all who have responded.

 

[JohnW2]

I've now switched the wires around so that the dimmer controlling the spots now controls the cabinet lights and vice versa. Now when I switch on what was the spots dimmer I'm gettig the arcing whereas before I got the arcing when I activated the cabinet dimmer.

OK. As you say, that seems to indicate that the dimmer, per se, was not the problem. Although you don't get the arcing/noise when the cabinet lights are on with no dimmer, it seems that you do get it if the cabinet lights are switched on with either of the dimmers.

I need daylight so that I can properly look at the ceiling rose again and I'll also try another dimmer switch. Failing that a sparky.

Again, I seriously doubt that 'another dimmer' would be the answer. However, the rose (or nearby junction box) could well be the issue, so worth looking at again.

It could just be that the weird waveform produced by a (any) dimmer is causing noise at an imperfect connection in your dining room, but that noise does not result from the 'clean' waveform which exists when the cabinet light is connected 'directly' (i.e. with no dimmer, per previous experiment).

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

The new dimmers are VA rated, rather than W. Could the load (both type and wattage) on the dimmer be at least partly responsible for the noise?

I think the amount of load or the type of load must be causing the noise.

 

[JohnW2]

The new dimmers are VA rated, rather than W. Could the load (both type and wattage) on the dimmer be at least partly responsible for the noise? I think the amount of load or the type of load must be causing the noise.

As already noted, unless there is some loose connection or somesuch in the vicinity of your dining room light, there would not be anything in that area which could conceivable make any sound (when the dining room light was off), regardless of what was going on with other things (like your kitchen lights) on the same lighting circuit.

Properly connected cables simply do/can not make noise (unless, perhaps, one gets into industrial-sized exceptions!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We should not be blind to the possibility that one man's "arcing noise" is another man's ......

 

[BF]

Another suggestion put to me is the transformer connected to the cabinet lights. If the transformer is faulty could this create the issue I'm experiencing?

Tomorrow I will check the wiring in the ceiling rose again and try another dimmer switch. I'm still puzzled as to why the new one didn't work. It could be faulty but that would mean both dimmers on the gang being faulty. What's the chance of that?

 

[JohnW2]

Another suggestion put to me is the transformer connected to the cabinet lights. If the transformer is faulty could this create the issue I'm experiencing?

There is no real getting away from what I wrote in my last post - that, regardless of anything to do with your kitchen lighting (dimmers, 'transformers' etc.), there is no way that you could get a noise (of any nature) coming from around a switched-off dining room light unless there was something wrong in the vicinity of that dining room light.

I take it that you are absolutely certain that the sound is coming from the dining room light (or something near to it)? You originally described it as 'electrical interference', and subsequently as 'arcing' after others had suggested that is what it was probably due to. Can you describe it - is is a buzzing sound, crackling sound, or what? ... and does it carry on continuously if you leave the kitchen cabinet lights on?

Kind Regards, John

 

[BF]

There is no real getting away from what I wrote in my last post - that, regardless of anything to do with your kitchen lighting (dimmers, 'transformers' etc.), there is no way that you could get a noise (of any nature) coming from around a switched-off dining room light unless there was something wrong in the vicinity of that dining room light.

I take it that you are absolutely certain that the sound is coming from the dining room light (or something near to it)? You originally described it as 'electrical interference', and subsequently as 'arcing' after others had suggested that is what it was probably due to. Can you describe it - is is a buzzing sound, crackling sound, or what? ... and does it carry on continuously if you leave the kitchen cabinet lights on?

Kind Regards, John

Hi John.

I wasn't sure of the correct terminology to describe it but someone suggested it was arcing hence I used that. I'll record it later and post here.

It's not a buzzing noise but crackling is a better description. The noise increases / decreases if I turn up / down the dimmer yet, sometimes, the noise doesn't occur.

I contacted BG, the makers of the new dimmer switch I bought, and they suggested turning the selector dial on the dimmers the opposite way to see if that made any difference. If you recall, when I fitted it there was no lighting whatsoever.

 

[JohnW2]

It's not a buzzing noise but crackling is a better description. The noise increases / decreases if I turn up / down the dimmer yet, sometimes, the noise doesn't occur.

That does sound as if it is probably due to 'arcing' - and, as I said before, I presume that you are certain that it is coming from/around the dining room light? Can you (by getting up a ladder or whatever) get any clearer an idea as to exactly where it is coming from - rose, lamp/bulb, 'through the ceiling' or whatever?

Kind Regards, John

 

[BF]

That does sound as if it is probably due to 'arcing' - and, as I said before, I presume that you are certain that it is coming from/around the dining room light? Can you (by getting up a ladder or whatever) get any clearer an idea as to exactly where it is coming from - rose, lamp/bulb, 'through the ceiling' or whatever?

Kind Regards, John

I will get as near to the source as possible and will double check the connections. I hadn't considered it might be the bulbs but I'll remove one by one and see if that has any effect.

Both my wife and I are convinced it's originating from the ceiling rose but it could equally be very near to it.

 

[JohnW2]

I will get as near to the source as possible and will double check the connections. I hadn't considered it might be the bulbs but I'll remove one by one and see if that has any effect.

It certainly shouldn't be the bulbs, if the light is turned off. However, attempting to precisely identify the source of the noise would certainly be a potential help.

It still seems unlikley that it could be due to anything other than connections in the rose or a nearby junction box.

Kind Regards, John