Fitted dimmer and now light doesnt work

[platforminc]

Hello All

I recently got 4 LED GU10 bulbs for my living room lights, the living room has 2 set of lights, one takes 4 bulbs and the other takes 3 GU10 bulbs. The section which takes 3 GU10 bulbs is my dining area which I also use as a reading area as well. I noticed that the GU10 bulbs were often boring and hard for me to read with especially at night, so I bought dimmable LED GU10 bulbs. I then realised that I got a problem, the dimmer that I got wasnt dimming the LED GU10 bulbs, it kept flickering.

I then went to my electrical supplier who sold me another dimmer switch which they claimed would work with a LED GU10 bulb. I fited this yesterday, lights started to flcker and the dimmer started to make some kind of whining noise. Before I was able to switch off the mains power to disconnect is, I smelt a burning smell and the lights all came off.

Now I took out all the LED bulbs, took out the dimmer, fixed my old dimmer and installed normal halagen GU10 bulbs, and the lights wouldnt work. However the other set of 4 in the centre of the living room works. I have used 2 dimmers that I have and it still doesnt work for the dining area lights.

I used a tester to see if any current was entering the switch, I can see live current by the switch, but no current by the GU10 bulb holder.

Can anyone advice on what could have gone wrong here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[chris765]

The dimmer module probably has a minimum load requirement, so that's my guess why the LEDS wouldn't dim.

Have you wired in the original dimmer back in correctly?

 

[platforminc]

Yes I have. I followed same wiring as the section which still works and still no luck.

 

[ricicle]

Is the switching part of a multi-way arrangement and you have somehow mixed up the wiring or incorporated two dimmers into a two-way circuit ?

 

[platforminc]

Is the switching part of a multi-way arrangement and you have somehow mixed up the wiring or incorporated two dimmers into a two-way circuit ?

Did the wiring as it was before, nothing changed at all from a wiring perspective.

Connected onto L1, L2 blank and connected second cable to the bit with the X written on it.

Same wiring instructions worked for the second set of lights.

 

[securespark]

I can see live current by the switch,

On BOTH sides?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I used a tester to see if any current was entering the switch,

Not the safest thing to do.

I can see live current by the switch, but no current by the GU10 bulb holder.

Well the current must be going somewhere.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

OK - I'll guess at what you probably mean...

I used a tester to see if any current was entering the switch, I can see live current by the switch, but no current by the GU10 bulb holder.

You don't mean current, you mean voltage.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html

What sort of tester are you using?

 

[Gutterball]

try a normal switch on it that will eliminate the dimmer being faulty.

 

[platforminc]

Thanks everyone, turned out that I have 2 x 2 gang/way dimmers and on both of them, only one dimmer works.

So I fitted a 3rd 2 gang/2 way dimmer and now all the lights work.

Thanks all.