Switch blowing fuses!

[traamh]

Ok, i'm hoping i've not bodged this...

I have two sets of outdoor lights but i don't want to start to create a new spur etc as i've just finished redeveloping, and this is *should* have been a ten minute fix to get some lights up - so, i've ran the exterior cables into the bedroom and plugged into an existing socket. All works fine.

Now, i've attempted to add a 2 gang switch between the plug and the lights, appear to have wired properly (its a waterproof unit), but each time i turn one of the lights off it blows a fuse in the consumer unit. Not fine.

Any ideas anyone please?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

you have wired the switch wrong

it's a common mistake

post a photo of the back of the switch showing your connections

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

 

[traamh]

Thanks JohnD for quick response!

Took some photos below. I've followed the instructions with the switch, where the left connection in each is a Live Feed (Brown wire in my case), the right a Switched Live (Blue for my wires), and i've added a link wire between each gang as there is only one wire from my sockets.

Now, i've tried it with just one switch wired, both wired, either light wired and so on... No joy. Hope you can spot my mistake!

Thanks

 

[traamh]

This time with images...

Untitled

• traamh
• 26 Mar 2009
• 1

Untitled

• traamh
• 26 Mar 2009
• 1

 

[ColJack]

ok,. here's a clue..

brown wires are lives...
blue wires are neutral..

switching a live wire onto the neutral is called a direct short...

blues do NOT go into the switch..

take the live FEED into the left set of screws and link to other switch as you already have..
take the BROWN SWITCHED LIVE wires to your lights and put them in the right hand screws..

BLUE wires all go into a terminal block
earth wires should go into the earth terminal if provided or a seperate terminal block if not..

 

[kai]

It seems strange - why doesn't the plug fuse blow instead of the consumer unit fuse?

 

[traamh]

oh dear, schoolboy error reading the instructions without even applying common sense. Thanks for spotting the error and making me feel a bit of a wally!

 

[ColJack]

always glad to help and humiliate..