Unwanted 2 switch lighting

[Blzbob]

Hi everyone, I need some help. Put up some lights in the lounge and hall worked fine thought I had followed the old and new. Then I switched on them both at the same time and the hall one goes out (dims with the dimmer) when I switched the lounge one on. Doh!!!

Actually left it for ages as I could cope with it but selling the house now and need to fix it, tried lots of combinations but cant seem to fix it.

Hall
2 cables in, reds together in an isolated block and blacks to each end of the light. Cant see how i could go wrong here unless the reds and blacks are wired wrongly (Note: I tested blacks together in the block and red to each end of the light and this also worked?)

Lounge - Three cables in. Reds together in an isolated block
No red helpful tape on any of the blacks so I have labelled them as none, white and duck(duck tape). My test results are below and hopefully this will show what happens. If I havent mentionned a wire it means it is isolated:-
White(L) and None(N) Hall switch turns both lights on at half strength so I presume duck may be the lounge switch?
Duck(L) and None(N) Neither work
Duck(L) and White(N) Neither work
White(L) and None(L) and duck(N) hall light works from hall switch and lounge does not.

Help please!!!

 

[plugwash]

If I havent mentionned a wire it means it is isolated:-
White(L) and None(N) Hall switch turns both lights on at half strength so I presume duck may be the lounge switch?

definately sounds like it from this but:

Duck(L) and None(N) Neither work
Duck(L) and White(N) Neither work

if what you say above is true then one of theese should make the lounge light work

White(L) and None(L) and duck(N) hall light works from hall switch and lounge does not.

well with this combination you should have had L and N connections to the fitting the other way round but this shouldn't have stopped the lounge light from working

i see three main possibilities
1: the red from the switch (in the same cable as duck) is not properly connected to the chock block
2: there is a problem in the switch
3: the switch cable is faulty

 

[Blzbob]

Ta for the quick response.

Will check the reds are secure but I am pretty sure they are, will also try a few more variants (ie the one I started with) and put them up tomorrow when it is light.

Just so I can understand, given the blacks are not marked with red tape it is possible I have got the L and N the wrong way round in the hall and/or the lounge light and in my testing of both I may have swapped them round again, what would this do (I thought it was AC so didn't matter).

Both switches caused an effect before I started fiddling today(lounge dimmer worked fine, hall light worked if lounge light wasnt on)

 

[Blzbob]

Still stuck. Reds are all together. Best I can achieve is lounge light in series with the hall(ie controlled from the hall switch) with none(L) and white(N).

Tried all combinations I can think of. The hall light appears to work now, however I can't replicate the original problem and the lounge dimmer switch doesn't have any effect in any combination. From the series issue I presume none and white should be together(L) and duck should be (N)

I have a multimeter is there a way to test the switch(duck and all reds?) and if so what am i looking for, could my dimmer have blown in all my testing?

Really confused now, please help

 

[securespark]

I think the problem is the duck. They don't conduct as well as copper does, plus you get an odd strangulated quacking noise when you switch on.

 

[Blzbob]

Had enough, called in the professional. Will let you know what the problem/result is tomorrow.

 

[Blzbob]

I had wired it correctly(eventually) my dimmer switch had gone when I was playing.

Still worth it he actually secured my light up properly rather than using my typical prayer to the gods of plasterboard and probably easier to sell the house with a light that works.

 

[plugwash]

yeah dimmers are pretty weak things

a normal switch placed directly accross the mains will take out the fuse or mcb and generally survive

with a dimmer you run quite a risk of blowing it