Tell us about your faults!

[kung]

Hi ALL
Just thought id put this one up for all those faults we find.
heres one to kick it off !
Domestic RCD tripped and wouldnt reset cause was a blown low energy light bulb.
There you go now for yours !

 

[sparc]

hicheers, i cant seem to upload any pics, but what i'm lookin to do is put the cieling rose back again and start again; my main prob with this is reconsiling the wires in the correct terminals, i have a simple rose attached on one side is brown and the other is blue, as far as cieling wiring is concerned i have two black wires that i believe were inserted in the section on the left attached to the live; a cpc; and 4 diffarant red wires that were split between the section of the other two termanals; two of course being the swith live and the other two that has to go to the nuetral left set of termanals hope that sounds right:dizzy2:

That doesn't sound right to me, but maybe I'm reading it wrong. You should affectively have four cables, including the lamp cord. Assuming the existing cables are all old colours you would start with loop in and loop out - this is the daisy chain of supply power from one ceiling fitting to the next. So figure out which are the loop in-loop out conductors and connect the two reds to the longer of two middle terminal blocks (live), and the two blacks to the shorter of two middle terminal blocks (neutral). If this is connected correctly - and you haven't added anything else yet - all the other lights on that circuit should now work correctly - once CPCs are connected.

.The next thing to connect is the switch live which - ideally - someone will have marked by putting red (/brown) sleeving on the black - to so it's actually a live. The red goes to same terminal block as other reds, giving a live feed to the switch. The sleeved switch live back from the switch goes to the terminal block on the edge. The brown coloured cord lead goes to this. The blue coloured lead in the cord from the lamp joins the blacks on that terminal block.

All the CPCs should then by sleeved G/Y and connected to the earth block.

Don't forget to hook the two cord leads over the pegs either side of ceiling plate to support the weight of the lamp fitting and shade.

 

[breakerman]

That doesn't sound right to me, but maybe I'm reading it wrong. You should affectively have four cables, including the lamp cord. Assuming the existing cables are all old colours you would start with loop in and loop out - this is the daisy chain of supply power from one ceiling fitting to the next. So figure out which are the loop in-loop out conductors and connect the two reds to the longer of two middle terminal blocks (live), and the two blacks to the shorter of two middle terminal blocks (neutral). If this is connected correctly - and you haven't added anything else yet - all the other lights on that circuit should now work correctly - once CPCs are connected.

.The next thing to connect is the switch live which - ideally - someone will have marked by putting red (/brown) sleeving on the black - to so it's actually a live. The red goes to same terminal block as other reds, giving a live feed to the switch. The sleeved switch live back from the switch goes to the terminal block on the edge. The brown coloured cord lead goes to this. The blue coloured lead in the cord from the lamp joins the blacks on that terminal block.

All the CPCs should then by sleeved G/Y and connected to the earth block.

Don't forget to hook the two cord leads over the pegs either side of ceiling plate to support the weight of the lamp fitting and shade.

hi, thx, these are old cables and there is no sleeving, the other thing there is no cord as such, the light is operated by a normal swith, cheers

 

[breakerman]

That doesn't sound right to me, but maybe I'm reading it wrong. You should affectively have four cables, including the lamp cord. Assuming the existing cables are all old colours you would start with loop in and loop out - this is the daisy chain of supply power from one ceiling fitting to the next. So figure out which are the loop in-loop out conductors and connect the two reds to the longer of two middle terminal blocks (live), and the two blacks to the shorter of two middle terminal blocks (neutral). If this is connected correctly - and you haven't added anything else yet - all the other lights on that circuit should now work correctly - once CPCs are connected.

.The next thing to connect is the switch live which - ideally - someone will have marked by putting red (/brown) sleeving on the black - to so it's actually a live. The red goes to same terminal block as other reds, giving a live feed to the switch. The sleeved switch live back from the switch goes to the terminal block on the edge. The brown coloured cord lead goes to this. The blue coloured lead in the cord from the lamp joins the blacks on that terminal block.

All the CPCs should then by sleeved G/Y and connected to the earth block.

Don't forget to hook the two cord leads over the pegs either side of ceiling plate to support the weight of the lamp fitting and shade.

but thank you, i do understand the daisy chane and relise now why the other lights arent working, becuase the connection is not in place

 

[Ohmyword]

Most ceiling roses that you can purchase from any DIY store will have a wiring diagram in them. When I am presented with 'one of these' (usually on a Sunday afternoon) I always start by 'ringing out' and finding the switchwire. Unless you have a 'parallel light' connection (2nd light on same switch) then the other wires are live, nuetral & cpc (earths).

 

[sythai]

Just back from call out and was faced with this....



Main fuse had blown right out the cut out.... leaving the fuse carrier pins still in there !!

Different one for me.

Worked along side DNO chaps - removed anything the customers side that had got fire/heat damaged, done all my checks to make sure everything internally ok.

New cut out unit installed ----> power back on (minus a couple of fire damaged circuits + mini CU for shower)

Back Monday to re-do the rest.

DNO said to send them the bill as it was a faulty cut out.

Very lucky customer, this could have a been a lot lot worst, fire brigade turned up but luckily it had gone out in time

 

[DaveyD]

Wow, thanks for posting. Has anyone elese heard of a cut out being at fault?

 

[sythai]

Took me by surprise anyway :dead:

 

[Mr.Si]

Just back from call out and was faced with this....

View attachment 9750View attachment 9751View attachment 9752

Main fuse had blown right out the cut out.... leaving the fuse carrier pins still in there !!

Different one for me.

Worked along side DNO chaps - removed anything the customers side that had got fire/heat damaged, done all my checks to make sure everything internally ok.

New cut out unit installed ----> power back on (minus a couple of fire damaged circuits)

Back Monday to re-do the rest.

DNO said to send them the bill as it was a faulty cut out.

Very lucky customer, this could have a been a lot lot worst, fire brigade turned up but luckily it had gone out in time

One word...


Wowness. :shocked:

 

[Ohmyword]

Just back from call out and was faced with this....

View attachment 9750View attachment 9751View attachment 9752

Main fuse had blown right out the cut out.... leaving the fuse carrier pins still in there !!

Different one for me.

Worked along side DNO chaps - removed anything the customers side that had got fire/heat damaged, done all my checks to make sure everything internally ok.

New cut out unit installed ----> power back on (minus a couple of fire damaged circuits + mini CU for shower)

Back Monday to re-do the rest.

DNO said to send them the bill as it was a faulty cut out.

Very lucky customer, this could have a been a lot lot worst, fire brigade turned up but luckily it had gone out in time

I have pictures of a '800KMF' (80Amp sw. fuse) very similar to these. It was virtually unrecognisable. I'll see if I can get them up on here :goofy::goofy:

 

[mogga]

Wow, thanks for posting. Has anyone elese heard of a cut out being at fault?

yes specialy old cast ones hence the advice if ever coming across anything like this CALL DNO do NOT attempt to pull fuse or touch your self turn off main switches and let DNO do their stuff

 

[GT1]

Client today wanted outside halogen security light replaced for new one from DIY shed.
Got to job old one stripped off wall ready.
However:
There was 1 permanent live.
One switched live from sw inside kitchen.
One green/yellow
One other unlabelled/coloured wire.
Easy peasy methinks must be the neutral.
Put 240 test lamp across perm live and mystery wire. We have light. Sorted.
Halfway thru client says no no. Those two are connected together, otherwise kitchen lights don't work!
Sure enough that was the case. ?
Turns out the house used to belong to ex BT guy. And has lots and lots of "additions".
He must ran the neutral the earth because there was none. I ended running one from the light to a nearby lighting point.
I'm baffled as to how I can get my test lamp to light across two wires.
Then have to connect them together to make rest of the circuit work !!

By the way I'm assuming that the guy has made his own tncs as there was continuity between earth and neutral wherever I tested !!

 

[prospark]

had a good one today,light in bin room of block of flats to replace because olf flouro not working,found s/l at switch live with switch off and 120volts across s/l and so called neutral,yet light worked intermittantly,That was because women in ground floor flat kept switching her light in comunal hall outside her flat on and off.Takes down light fitting to find no earth to fitting,1 red wire to brown of light and 1 black wire to red as well,then 1 black wire to blue of light(been fitted by a neigbour over 12mths ago! Oh and just to finish polarity on Es lampholder wrong.Recconnected 2 blacks to blue and red to brown and earthed light fitting,including heat resist sleeving. DIY electricians!!!!!!!!
I'm a spark "get me outa here"

 

[Vincent_H]

Hi I am looking for a bit of help I replaced my old ceiling Rose with a new light fitting yesterday wired it all correctly or so I thought as the light comes on and off, I added a dimmer switch but when I switch my bathroom light on my bedroom light turns on also. The dimmer switch when turned off from my bedroom make my bathroom fan come on. It has left me a bit baffled.

 

[Ohmyword]

Hi I am looking for a bit of help I replaced my old ceiling Rose with a new light fitting yesterday wired it all correctly or so I thought as the light comes on and off, I added a dimmer switch but when I switch my bathroom light on my bedroom light turns on also. The dimmer switch when turned off from my bedroom make my bathroom fan come on. It has left me a bit baffled.

Baffled???
You and me both!
!st question would be; did it all work 'correctly' before connecting the "dimmer switch"?
If so, and to prove this, refit the old switch and try out the lighting circuit, making sure all points (and fan) operate correctly.
If not; then I recommend removing (or at least get to connections of) "new light fitting" and start 'ringing out' and confirming what cables you have there (and what they are i.e. feeds in, feeds looped on, switch wire, etc.).

 

[Vincent_H]

It all worked fine before putting the dimmer on it was once I put the dimmer on it all went topsy turvy! It is old wiring for the old light fitting so I isolated the reds as per the instructions and put all the wires where I thought they should be I blew the switch so I had to change the wires about and put them correctly with the help of my neighbour then it all worked, I then added the dimmer switch then that is when the problem happened with the bathroom fan and bathroom shaving light!