Wiring a light did not work?

[Nerozero]

Hi all, so we have replaced 3 lights in our house every one has 2 blacks (connected to neutral), one green (earth), 1 black (connected to live) and 3 reds (never connected to anything so I left these as they are).

So I wired 3 lights downstairs and spare bedroom and all was good. Today I tried to do the bedroom one, same thing, all same wires, left the 3 reds alone and connected the 1 black to live, one green to earth and 2 blacks to neutral then put the fuses back on and nothing happened, turned everything off and tried again still nothing.

So I decided to take the spare room light (was working) and try it in the main bedroom to see if it was the wiring or the light and this light didn't work either, now when I put this light back in the spare room it also doesn't work and all the wiring was identical to how it was before when it was working.

Does anyone have any tips here? I am thinking something may have come lose in the loft. I have one of those light up current pens and the only wires that light up are the 3 reds, all the blacks and greens don't light up I am guessing the live should still? I also have a multimeter about if that can help me identify the problem.

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So I wired 3 lights downstairs and spare bedroom and all was good. Today I tried to do the bedroom one, same thing, all same wires, left the 3 reds alone and connected the 1 black to live, one green to earth and 2 blacks to neutral then put the fuses back on and nothing happened, turned everything off and tried again still nothing.

So I decided to take the spare room light (was working) and try it in the main bedroom to see if it was the wiring or the light and this light didn't work either, now when I put this light back in the spare room it also doesn't work and all the wiring was identical to how it was before when it was working.

Does anyone have any tips here? I am thinking something may have come lose in the loft.

Why would something have come loose in the loft when you were not working up there?

Do you not think that it would be a bit of a coincidence for something to go wrong up there at exactly the same time you were removing and replacing lights?

I have one of those light up current pens

Virtually useless.

I also have a multimeter about if that can help me identify the problem.

It can help identify conductors, and check continuity etc, but I suspect the problem might lie in something you did. Or didn't do.

No harm in visually checking the wiring in the loft, in case you did tug on something.

3 reds (never connected to anything so I left these as they are).

Were they, and are they still, connected to each other? They can't have just been lying around loose.

 

[Nerozero]

Why would something have come loose in the loft when you were not working up there?

Do you not think that it would be a bit of a coincidence for something to go wrong up there at exactly the same time you were removing and replacing lights?


Virtually useless.



It can help identify conductors, and check continuity etc, but I suspect the problem might lie in something you did. Or didn't do.

No harm in visually checking the wiring in the loft, in case you did tug on something.


Were they, and are they still, connected to each other? They can't have just been lying around loose.

In the previous light the reds were all connected into one of the slots on the light harness but the other end was not going anywhere, do the reds need to be all touching each other? I am thinking that maybe I tugged on the cables and that pulled something out above and knocked both rooms out, not that something went randomly wrong in the loft.

I find it very strange that my spare room light no longer works when this was connected and working fine a few hours ago now neither light in either room works, the spare room all I did was literally unscrew the harness try it in the main bedroom, take it back and screw it back in the harness and then it doesn't work anymore either.

Maybe the main bedroom could be something to do with the 3 wires? But then the spare room nothing changed I just disconnected and reconnected and it no longer works which is why I am thinking maybe its something further up the line. What do you suggest I try?

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I suggest you really ought to learn how lighting circuits work.

• https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
  
  
• http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting
  

In the previous light the reds were all connected into one of the slots on the light harness but the other end was not going anywhere, do the reds need to be all touching each other?

Of course they do.

If you have a circuit which works in a particular way, and you then change how parts of it are connected, you shouldn't be surprised if it no longer works in the same way.

all the wiring was identical to how it was before when it was working.

Really identical?

Not just the wires which were connected to the old lights, are all the ones which were connected to each other and/or other things still connected exactly as they were before?

 

[Nerozero]

I suggest you really ought to learn how lighting circuits work.

• https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
  
• http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting

Of course they do.

If you have a circuit which works in a particular way, and you then change how parts of it are connected, you shouldn't be surprised if it no longer works in the same way.


Really identical?

Not just the wires which were connected to the old lights, are all the ones which were connected to each other and/or other things still connected exactly as they were before?

Makes sense, well I think it would be a coincidence for the reds to be knocked out in the spare room also but I will check tomorrow. The reds in the main room are no longer touching so I will check this out tomorrow.

The red in the spare room were more tucked up into the ceiling so when I took the light down today I only saw the blacks and green so its possible when I took it down it moved the reds apart but from my view all I did was disconnect those wires and reconnect them again but something must have got dislodged so I will check tomorrow also.

Thanks for the help

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The reds in the main room are no longer touching

But they were before.

What have you done with them? Are they safe?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What news from the front?

 

[securespark]

Tumbleweed rolls past...

 

[securespark]

More tumbleweed...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

TBF he may not be able to find the time in the week...