chandalier light goes dim as you add more lamps

[pallys]

Hi, hope someone can help.

In my hallway I had a basic ceiling light fitting on a low power energy saving bulb. Missus got a chandalier form Wilkinson's over a year ago that I never got round to fitting until now...was a Jerrico 5 candle chandalier for £40. Each lamp holder can take up to 60W E14 SES bulbs.

I've wired it up as per Wilko instructions but everytime I add a 42W halogen candle style bulb (£1 each) the light output halves. I.e. its brightest with only 1 bulb in and as I add each one in up to the 5 they all end up with a very faint glow.

The light can be turned on/off from 2 locations:

2 gang switch
- switch 1 chandalier
- switch 2 turns outside front light on (energy saving bulb)

3 gang switch
- swtich 1 chandalier
- switch 2 turns on cloak room light (energy saver)
- switch 3 turns on landing light up stairs (energy saver)

The other lights don't seem to get brighter as I add a candle bulb. But it's hard to tell because the other lights are energy savers and they don't really lend themselves to get even brighter imo.

​

There was 1 cable from ceiling and inside of that were 3 wires:
brown,
blue,
yellow/green.

Then there was a separate single wire dropping from the ceiling which was also a yellow/green. Seems like I had 2 earths?

The light fitting also had a brown, blue, yellow/green so I joined these up to the 3 core in a block. The light fitting also had another yellow/green (or was it green/blue?) and I joined this to the separate yellow/green hanging from the ceiling in the 4 block.

In total 4 from ceiling was joined to 4 from the light fitting, the same colours.

To rule out the light fitting, I had a 2nd chandalier that the wife bought also over a year ago for me to fit elsewhere...I wired this in the hallway and same problem. I then wired it in the landing upstairs - same problem. The second chandalier I tried also did not require to be earthed but still same problem.

I tried different bulbs just incase - same problem...bulbs keep dimming as I add one more...

So I have ruled out the lamps and 2 different manufacture chandaliers being faulty.

Any idea what's wrong with the house wiring?

Thanks.

Ps. House built in 1988, a part p electrician previously lived here.

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Said previously you need a spark to check voltage & polarity, IMHO

 

[Kamikaze]

For the OP to try and sort this one out himself over the internet is like suck starting a shotgun. Without any test equipment and the know-how of how to use it and the knowledge of what to look for its hopeless.

 

[picturevalve]

Original installation was all energy savers, these will work happily and in spec down to ~190v and will probably work at even lower voltages - will have to try it sometime, out of curiosity.

 

[pallys]

Was the single cable coming out of the ceiling twin and earth, with sleeving on the earth (green /yellow)
OR a flexible cable?

Was the upstairs a similar type cable?

When you wired the second chandellier upstairs was the first still wired in down stairs?

You won't be able to guess your way out, even an experienced spark might need a couple of guesses.

Yes, single cable, with three core wires, brown, blue, green/yellow. And another lonely green/yellow wire external to the main cable.

Yes upstairs has same configuration.

Sounds to me like a situation a domestic spark will recognise.

Wiring up/downstairs lights from a 2 way switch/ 3 core for strappers for some reason ended up being a 2 core, no neutral therefor at up or downstairs light to match the circuit the switchwire comes from.
I reckon then that the single green has been hastily put in and is actually a neutral and belongs together with the blue wire.

Incidentally (or more importantly) the pair of earth wires on the light fitting need to be together as one and connected to the ceiling earth. There may be 2 earths on the light for several reasons ie one for the fitting and one for the cup (rose).

Yes chandalier had 2 earths for fitting and cup rose. Second chandalier I tried that was class 2 did not require earth - but still same problem.

But didn't a lamp work correctly there before?

Yes was a 60w halogen in there before that seemed fully bright.

Thanks for the help guys, I will call out an electrician, I thought it might be something dead obvious. Will let you know what he says.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi, what happens when you remove a lamp ? If wired in series all lamps will go out when you remove one.

if the chandelier itself (the internal wiring of it) is in series...then yes......except they arn`t are they...lol....
use you head mate eh.....

 

[thekingiam]

my first thought is energy saving lamp with normal halogen lamp on a dimmer, what type of energy saving lamp what electronics inside is it dimable. take out energy saving bulb put in two rated the same and dimmable might solve problem before delving into testing etc?