Permanently on lights (Urgent help needed)

[StephieD]

Hi, I have two sets of lights I am replacing ... both in the same room and controlled by one dimmer switch. The first set of lights are a straight replacement .. red to live, black to neutral and earth to earth. The second set is exactly the same but has an addition wire from the ceiling coloured red/black. When this wire is connected with the live wires the lights work brilliantly but can not be switched off with the dimmer and when this is wired with the black wires it blows a fuse.

Any suggestions on where this extra wire should go so that I can turn my lights off without having to switch the whole power off!

Thanks in advance.

StephieD

 

[breezer]

you mention a wire red / black. is it a balck wire with red tape?

your lights should be connected to this as it is the switch wire (live) from the dimmer the neutral for your lights should be connected to the blacks

 

[StephieD]

Hi breezer
Thanks for the reply but I am a bit confused.

The addition wire is black with a small red covering on it and when wiring we assumed it was a live from the switch.

At the moment we have wired it like this: the green and yellow wire from the ceiling is connected (through a connecter) to the green and yellow wire from the light. The red wires from the ceiling are connected to the brown wire from the lights and the black wires from the ceiling are connected to the blue wire from the light. The additional black wire (with red covering) from the ceiling has been included with the red wires from the ceiling and is connected to the brown wire from the lights.

The lights are working but will not switch off.

Is this what you were suggesting or should I be putting the addition black (with red covering) wire somewhere else?

Thanks again

StephieD

 

[breezer]

take the black wire (with red sleaving) from where you have it. (with the reds)

take the brown wire from where it is (from all the reds)

now connect the two of them together, so that they are only connected to each other and nothing else

leave the other wires as they are.

you are right to assume that the black wire (with red sleaving) is a switch wire from the dimmer, but it should go directly to the light (as detailed above) not the other lives

 

[MrsMiggins]

Just thought I'd bump this topic to thank you guys for your info. Yup, that's right, I disconnected a light fitting without noting what went where and ended up with:

Single Black
Black/Black together
Red/Red together
Single Red
Black/Red together

and no idea what went where!

After searching the forum I was able to work it all out:

Black/Red - Switched lives to 2 switches - connected to light fitting live
Remaining reds together in choc bloc
Remaining blacks together - connected to light fitting neutral
And of course the earth for luck

So thanks guys, I'd literally be in the dark (or permanently in the light)without these forums

 

[Big_Spark]

Yet another case of "If you don't know what your doing, leave well alone and call someone who does"

 

[Pricey]

StephieD, breezer is bang on but once you've wired up as suggested, if it still doesn't dim, replace the dimmer switch. I had the same problem and found that once the lights had fused for the first time, it stopped the dimmer function from working.

 

[breezer]

Yet another case of "If you don't know what your doing, leave well alone and call someone who does"

That is all very well for you to say that, but this is a diy forum, we are here to help, if you can not say something of use, no one is asking you to post here, you may have a degree in what ever, you do know more than most of us, but one thing you do not appear to have is common decency and courtesy. people often come here after they have done something they shouldn't they come here for advice not abuse. yes quite often you do give better advice than most of us, but please either be helpful or go elsewhere

 

[paulh53]

Yet another case of "If you don't know what your doing, leave well alone and call someone who does"

Excactly

 

[paulh53]

Yet another case of "If you don't know what your doing, leave well alone and call someone who does"

That is all very well for you to say that, but this is a diy forum, we are here to help, if you can not say something of use, no one is asking you to post here, you may have a degree in what ever, you do know more than most of us, but one thing you do not appear to have is common decency and courtesy. people often come here after they have done something they shouldn't they come here for advice not abuse. yes quite often you do give better advice than most of us, but please either be helpful or go elsewhere

Now "Breezer" Let's Stay Professional Eh?

 

[securespark]

We don't want any more hitting of the Alert Moderators panic button, do we chaps????

PS it wasn't me!!! I've been away a few days.