No power to bathroom mirror.

[danny-hammond]

Hello, I have just updated my bathroom and I have put six spot lights in, electric fan & a electric mirrior in. When I installed the lights and mirror I also put a dimmer switch on and they seemed to work ok but three of the transformers to the spot light broke, I don't know if that has anything to do with dimmer switch?. Then my electric fan arrived and I made the mistake of getting a timer fan this I found out needs a permanent live that I don't have due to me taking power from spot light circuit. But I think iv found I solution to that problem... I hope. But the thing that is really puzzling me is I changed my light switch back to normal switch instead of dimmer, when the spot lights are on my mirrior loses power then when I turn them off it regains power. The mirrior has its own permenant live with a switch but this does come off the spotlight circuit aswell. When I had the dimmer switch them both worked together until I turned lights up to full then the mirror would lose power this seems to tell me that for some reason my breaker isn't giving enough power out to run all. Is this possible or is the another way around it thanks Dan.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Phew,

Your dimmer switch maybe the problem with your lights, some SELV (Separated Extra Low Voltage) transformers are not suitable for dimming because you are reducing the voltage to it.

As you are in a bathroom, your fan will need to be SELV as well depending on which zone it is in (this is where it gets a bit more involved than a DIY task), but in any case, you need a permanent live and neutral to it, and a switched live to it as well from your switched lighting circuit.

Your fan should also have 3 pole Fan isolator switch so that it can be safely isolated in the event of a problem, or for cleaning and maintenance.

Your mirror will probably have a on/off switch of its own, so you will need a permanent live an neutral to that, you will also need earths to each part as required.

As you are in the DIY forum, i think you may be in above your head, and sorting these problems out in a forum is too involved. I would get an Electrician in the put you right, it wont cost much for an hour or so, and with it being a bathroom get him to test your circuits as well. The safety of yourself and your family is paramount here, and the cost of an hour or so of an Electricians time is far cheaper than the possible outcome of badly/incorrectly installed electrical equipment in bathrooms. Just because it is your home, you can't just do as you please, if there is a death or injury as a result the HSE will be involved, and they will prosecute you as an individual, and thats even before we start with breaching building regulations. So tread carefully. I have no problems with DIY people doing there own electrical work, and the best advice i will always give, is to make sure you fully understand what you are doing, and if you don't, then seek advice.

The problems you describe will take a decent spark about an hour to sort out, it is bread and butter work for us with experience.

Cheers............Howard

 

[danny-hammond]

Thanks a lot for that Howard, I have the spark booked for Tuesday better being safe than sorry like you said. Thanks for taking the time to reply appreciate it.

 

[Guitarist]

Howard covered it fairly well. Unfortunately, you may have broken the Law by installing new cabling and equipment in a bathroom, unless you notified your local building control department first.
What you have done is rather more than a "spot of DIY", and I am glad to hear that you will be getting an electrician to check and test it all.