Help chaps Dimmer switch problems

[Cliff]

Hi everyone, I am not an Electrician but have asked questions on here in the past and want to pick your brains. I have just decorated two walls that had wall lights on them, I removed the lights and decorated, now I have replaced them ( making sure they are wired correctly ) the lights tripped the breaker. These are connected to a double dimmer switch ( 1 switch for a small light the other for 3 wall lights ) I have just noticed the switch smells not a burning smell more TCP it that makes sense. Switch off the wall and it looks like smoke coming out of the dimmer

These lights have been in before we moved in and consist of :

3 wall lights on the same dimmer switch , 2 bulbs in each fitting totaling 360 Watt. Now I have taken the switch off the wall as I had this smell I noticed it said 250 Watt Max. Firstly can I get a dimmer to take this load ? and 2nd why is it only now it has gone. I had the lights on full ( we never have them like this normally ) just so I could double check the power was off before removing from the wall. Do you think the switching back on of the trip has blown the dimmer ?

Or should I do anything else at the wall lights to double check ? I was very careful to not damage the wires at the wall and didn't pinch any when putting everything back together.

Can something I do at the wall lights make the dimmer smoke


I am happy to go out and buy a new dimmer but just need some advice I have not missed something.

Thanks

Cliff

 

[Risteard]

Hi everyone, I am not an Electrician

Clearly.

Perhaps you should get one in to do the work safely.

 

[wurm]

thats was helpfull of u

 

[Cliff]

Thanks for your comments Risteard, I have always found the people who frequent this forum very helpful and I know when I am out of my depth. Removing 2 wall lights and replacing is not out of my expertise, if you had known the person who owned my house previously to me you would know he didnt do any DIY work so I can only assume this obviously dodgy wiring was done by an electrician.
Feel free to delete my post and I will wait for one of the many helpful electricians who use this site to reply.

Cliff

 

[Spudnik]

Clearly.

Perhaps you should get one in to do the work safely.

If you have nothing helpful to post then please dont post it.

 

[Risteard]

If you have nothing helpful to post then please dont post it.

I believe that my post was helpful in the spirit of health and safety legislation.

 

[wurm]

anyway with that said cliff im not a sparks but i am trying .......i would suggest that the burning smell is due to the switch buring out due to being over loaded ie 250w with a 360w load......suggested by the fact u say it ony happend when u turnd the dimmer way up ......


i dont know if u can get higher rated switches.....so i would suggest ,,either use lower wattage buls thus loweing the load.........split the load ie put another awitch for some of the lights or ..dont turn it right the way up in future,,,( personally id go for the latter cus im a lazy ----er and have two live wires joined together hanging outta me wall where the light switch used to be ( i really must get another switch for that)

hope this helps





p/s as im say im not a sparks and could be wrontg so please dont blame me if u follow what ive said and burn ya hse to the ground ...

I believe that my post was helpful in the spirit of health and safety legislation.

lmao ****in jokes m8

 

[Mark.W]

Hi Cliff

Check to see that you have terminated all the connections properly. ie make sure they are tight, make sure that you have tightened the connection on to the copper and not the insulation. Dimmers are temperamental and could go at any time.

Screwfix do a 400W 2way dimmer!

Cheers
Mark

 

[Steve1412]

I would say if the breaker tripped first there is a problem somewhere. Chances of your dimmer going faulty just after you have removed wall lights etc is very coincedental...i would suggest removing lights you have disturbed by decorating and be very thorough checking connections, exposed copper from terminations, fixings near cables etc. i would then pop to shop and get a cheap normal light switch to check everything works with that. If alls well then invest in a higher rated dimmer. They are available.
And be safe, switch of all elec unless u know your circuits all identified.

 

[Doomed]

It may also be worth your while checking the max wattage rating of the wall lights.
If they are for decorative purposes rather then purely functional they may be rated at a max of 40W lamps.
If this is so then the origional dimmer was (just) correctly rated for the 6 lamp circuit and you have overloaded it by fitting increased wattage lamps.

 

[Cliff]

Thanks everyone just been down to the local electrical shop for some advice, have come back and done the following :

• checked everything is terminated correctly ( all was OK )
• checked the light fittings and these state max 60Watt bulb
• As these are 60watt bulbs it was recommended using a higher rated dimmer
• Was told either whoever installed them in the first place didnt check the switch rating or fittings were changed afterwards and that person didn't check the switch
• Just installed a 400Watt double dimmer

All now working ok. I was 99% sure the advice coming back from you all would be the above but as this was installed by an electrician I didnt know if I had missed anything e.g can a larger Watt bulb be fitted to a circuit with a lower watt switch. Obviously I now know it shouldnt be done.

thanks again. to 99% of you.

Cliff

 

[MTI]

I believe that my post was helpful in the spirit of health and safety legislation.

just spat my coffee across the carpet!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Des 56]

Cliff
The 360 watt rated load is towards the top end for a 400 watt dimmer
You can obtain 1000 watt dimmers in most wholesalers
360 watt on a 400 watt dimmer will certainly have a little warming and probably a lot of buzzing
The 1000 watt less so

 

[Cliff]

thanks Des, I will look at getting a 1000 watt one, must say the 400 watt one is not buzzing at the moment.

Thanks for all advice.

Cliff

 

[Modernelectric]

were the dimmers on the same switch plate or 2 seperate switches? were both dimmers rated at 250w?