Power in lighting problem

[SUNRAY]

So it’s a new build, but has had a previous owner? Maybe they’ve been DIY’ing. You’ve got power there of some description, so I’m sure it’s something simple.
It does sound like your switched live is mixed up somewhere. Test all wires to Earth with the switch on, then again with it off. The one that switches is the one you want to connect to the light, then it’s a case of connecting the neutrals. The switch live could be a blue wire depending on how it’s done.

Can we confirm, at the switch do you have 2 blue wires in a connector and 2 browns into different terminals of the dimmer?

 

[flameport]

The dimmer being busted is entirely possible. Capacitive coupling / leakage with the wire open, which isn't there when connected as the lighting will provide a low impedance path to the neutral.

 

[JohnW2]

Capacitive coupling / leakage with the wire open, which isn't there when connected as the lighting will provide a low impedance path to the neutral.

Do you really mean 'low' - and, if so what would you regard as a 'low' impedance?

Kind Regards, John

 

[FrodoOne]

Hi - today I have replaced 3 ceiling pendant lights in the kitchen. They are all connected to a dimmer switch.

They look great but they don’t work! I got my multimeter out and found something that to me is strange so wondered if someone can help.

At the first light on the chain, there are two brown wires from the ceiling, one from the switch and another that takes the live to the next light in the chain. Both brown wires are in the same terminal, fair enough. However when I checked for power there, I get no reading BUT when I separate those brown wires from each other I get a normal reading on the wire coming from the switch.

I’m baffled - why would I get no reading when those wires are joined together in the same terminal?

With what type of device are you making these "readings"?

If you are using a digital meter, it seems that there is really no 240 voltage at the point where you are making the reading (in relation to the Neutral) but, when you remove the Load, you detect an induced voltage at the open circuit switched-Line conductor.

Either
use an analog meter or
shunt the input of the digital meter, when trying to read voltage, with (say) a 100 kΩ resistor. (That is 100,000 Ohms)

 

[dk1uk]

Can we confirm, at the switch do you have 2 blue wires in a connector and 2 browns into different terminals of the dimmer?

Morning, here’s the inside of the dimmer switch. It’s the one on the left that’s for the pendants.

 

[dk1uk]

The dimmer being busted is entirely possible. Capacitive coupling / leakage with the wire open, which isn't there when connected as the lighting will provide a low impedance path to the neutral.

I switched the dimmer modules around with one I know works and it still doesn’t work.

 

[terryplumb]

Pic of wiring at rose / pendant ?

 

[dk1uk]

Pic of wiring at rose / pendant ?

 

[dk1uk]

View attachment 177324

And the first pendant lights up when I remove one of the brown wires which shows 0 on the multimeter

 

[dk1uk]

So that brown wire that’s disconnected in the pic above should take a live feed to pendants 2 and 3, I’ve checked and there is continuity of that wires to 2 and 3. Yet when I connect it, then none of the lights work!

 

[terryplumb]

Thanks .
Please give details of the light fittings ,are they LED ,240 v ?

 

[dk1uk]

Thanks .
Please give details of the light fittings ,are they LED ,240 v ?

Does this pic of the compatible bulbs help?

 

[terryplumb]

Presumably you are fitting one or other of the bulbs listed ?
If you disconnect all three pendants and take voltage measurements at each rose ,( with the loose brown insulated conductor re connected) what do you get
Line to neutral
Line to earth
Neutral to earth.
With dimmer switch fully on ?

 

[dk1uk]

Making progress, I disconnected the pendant 3 from 2 and now pendant 1 and 2 are working. Something wrong with pendant 3??

 

[dk1uk]

I’ve got the ceiling roses of pendants 2 and 3 open and I’m getting continuity across both lives and neutrals. Why would all three lights fail to work when I connected pendant 3.