Landing lights fade out when switched Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[neil.beddall]

I have recently moved house where the landing and hall lights (both down lighters) have worked fine. For info the upstairs switch is a dimmer and the downstairs one a rocker. There is wiring in place for an additional light fitting off one of the beams but when I connected a light fitting to it (chandalier type thing with c.5 candle lights) the lights in the landing and the chandalier come on and then fade away after about 5 seconds. Nothing fuses and if I turn the switch off and then on again, the same happens.

Any ideas why - is the circuit overloaded or do you think its justy a problem with one of the switches? And any ideas how I can resolve please.

[ericmark]

With a fault like that we can only guess but here goes.
The fading is caused by dimmer switch and you have connected the light in series. Most likely real live to new light but return is going to old lights switch wire or vice versa. Look at projects on how lights are wired and you will see one black has a sleeve and is switch wire not neutral and the three reds do not connect to lights but feed switch.
I would not think overloaded but not sure what a dimmer switch would do if overloaded it could have some form of auto shut down my dimmer was rated 250 watt now removed to use energy saving lights but what is your switch rated at and how may watt are all lamps together? It is simple maths. 5 x 60 watt is 300 watt so on my switch that would be overload. Easy to test remove some of the bulbs or fit smaller ones.