How to fit a dimmer on the same circuit as a flourecent

[markrtp]

Help Please!
I have a flourescent fitting in a room and i have added standard light fitting into the same circuit which i would like to dim, the problem is when the dimmer is operated the flourecent in the same circuit starts flashing, and blows the starter. the lights share the same neutral and loop feeds to the switches, is the dimmer causing some type of back feed interfearance through the neutral, if so is there any way i could surpress this problem?
I hope i have been clear enough just to make it clear i am not trying to dim the flourescent just a new light using the same feed and neutral and of course a different switch.
Thanks
Mark

 

[Damocles]

Um, I doubt that they do share the same neutral and loop feeds.

Some more detail is needed about what cables you have at the switch, what you did to add a new light and dimmer. Somehow your dimmer is running both sets of lights.

The fluorescent is being dimmed by the dimmer. And they have their own ideas about how to react to this.

Meanwhile, look at wiring diagrams at top of forum. Might help. Switches normally do not have a neutral. Normally they have red wire which is live, and black wire which takes live through the switch back directly to the lamp.

 

[markrtp]

Thanks for the reply
Let me try an explain better.
The flourescent has three twin and earths, feed & n in feed and n out and the switch wires. I have added another fitting into the circuit taking a neutral from the neutral terminal that also has the feed in and feed out neutrals in the flourescent. the switch that i wish to dim the new light has a common taken from where the loop in,loop out and flourescent commom are conected ie a terminal block in the fitting then the switch wire is connected to the live terminal of the new fitting the flourscent is switched fine and i have not interupted this at all.
Is this any clearer?
Mark

 

[Damocles]

Sounds correct, sounds like you know how it should work. Unfortunately what is happening sounds like the fluorescent is being run through the dimmer. Got some wires crossed somewhere.

No, a dimmer should have no way of affecting other lights on the same supply.

You ran a new cable to the new dimmer switch? So the Live (red) inside the fluorescent now has all four reds connected to one terminal block. You ran another new cable to the new bulb. You have probably 3 black wires connected to a neutral terminal, which also connects to the original fluorescent. One black wire coming back from the switch goes to the fluorescent, and the other goes to the new bulb?

 

[breezer]

i can not quite put my finger on it, but some thing is not quite right (perhaps its the way you have worded it)

Why not dissconect the 2nd light, and wire it as per the drawinings in for refernce that way it must work as it should

 

[Lectrician]

Check the polarity of the flourescent - these have been known to flicker on reverse polarity under certain circumstances.

 

[securespark]

This sounds stupid, but is the fluorescent and the other light on the same switch?