what am i doing wrong??trying to install a new ceiling light Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[ROHAN]

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hello ppl!!!

i bought a new light the other day. it has 3 50w GU 10 240v bulbs.i wanted to install it in my front room.

my cables from my ceiling are as follows,

3 power cables consisting of 3 earths,3 reds (insulated n out the way)and 3 blacks.

out of the 3 blacks there was no black wire with a tag for the switch, i just assumed 1 was the switch as I got a normal lamp and attached the neutral and live of the bulb to 2 of the black wires from my ceiling in order to find the switch,where when i attached the live & neutral of the lamp to 2 of the 3 blacks the lamp lighted up.


heres the problem, I connected the switch wire to the live terminal of the light and the other 2 blacks to the neutral terminal & earth 2 earth....

the light works fine when i switch it on BUT, my (ground floor lights)kitchen & dining room lights have become very dim.

Also if i disconnect my front room switch which has a black and red wire behind it & turn on my kitchen lights my new front room light turns on

can any1 help lol ........
so right now i have just taken the new light out my front room and attached all the blacks together where now my kitchen lights are working fine, the bulbs in the kitchen are also 50w, is this a power serge problem or isit me? helpppppppp

[ericmark]

You seem to have mixed up the black wires. With three wires two connected together and one feeding lamps you have 3 options I will call the three wires 1 to 3 to show.
1 neutral in 2 neutral out 3 line from switch.
1 and 2 connected as neutral 3 line to lamp all works correct
1 and 3 connected as neutral 2 line to lamp when switched on fuse will blow when switched off next lamp works dim and also switches this lamp on dim.
3 and 2 connected as neutral 1 line to lamp this lamp works OK but next lamp only works dim and also puts this lamp on dim.
Because the second option will cause a direct short as an electrician we would ring out cables until we find the switch wire then mark with sleeve or tape.
I have tried to instruct people in the past how to use light as a bell to bell out wires but they got themselves into real knot so now I just recommend you get an electrician in.
Eric