DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I've just wired in four downlights (50W halogen, built-in transformer in bulb). Very simple - took wire from lighting circuit. Switch put in with just 2 wires coming from junction box - works fine.
All four lights work but are much dimmer than identical lights in adjoining room. When I remove one bulb, the other three get brighter. Remove another and the remaining two are brighter still! The four lights are wired in a line - wires go from 1 to 2 to 3 to four. Should I loop the 4th one back to the juntion box?

Any clues?

I've made 2 rooms from one so my young twin sons can have a room each and one rooms just too gloomy!

many thanks

Dave

Your report worries me to get such a volt drop, either the wiring is undersize, or you have a really bad connection somewhere.
I assume your using GU10 bulbs?
So what cable have you used?
Eric

yup - GU10 bulbs... standard wiring circuit cable from Wickes...

Could it be because I've run the new circuit off another bedroom circuit which already has 6 GU10 bulbs? Whwen I turn that bedroom light on the new ones don't shine at all! I suspect I'm drawing too much power... I read somewhere that you should only have a max of 8 bulbs off one circuit... I'll try finding the real mains circuit before any l;ights come off it, rather than the convenient junction box I found!

Ta!

DAVE

ta-daaaa!

I'd taken the mains feed off another bedroom and was running 10 bulbs off one circuit. I found the real mains lead eventually and it now works a treat - many thanks!

Your post worries me, what do you mean when yopu say you have found the REAL mains feed???? IF it was wired from a dimmer circuit in the adjacent bedroom fine, If you had overloaded the circuit it would have made all lights dim not just some, how have you wired it (connections) as it sounds like you have connected the lights in series as opposed to in parallel as your supposed to. What circuit have you fed them from now and how have you wired it. WIth this information i can help to solve the problem safely as opposed to the way you may have done it which could be potentially dangerous.


NIck

I would suggest you get in an electrician as you seem to lack the knowledge for what you are doing and safety is of paramount importance
Also you could overload the circuit and cause a fire.I have attended 3 fires in houses from electrical faults and the outcome of these fires were'nt pretty so get in a qualified electrician to sort out the problem
regards
Topspark

I was about to suggest he had selected the switch wire and used it as a neutral on the new lamps when inglewoody seemed to have worked it out for himself so I did not reply.
Don't know what is worrying you Nick seems to all make sense!
Unless you have seen something I have missed.
Eric