DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all,

I wonder if someone can help.

Right I have in total 4 ceiling lights in the whole of the top floor. I tried to replace two of these four ceiling lights and another two on the middle floor.

The end result is that the two on the middle floor I replaced work but none of the four at the top now work (despite only changing two of them). I still have electricity from the mains on the top floor and no switches have been tripped on the circuit breaker in the house. I am unsure how to proceed from here.

The bizzaire thing is, is that I first replaced the upstairs hallway and the middle floor hallway first. i.e one on each floor and then did a quick check before moving on. Both lights worked which suggests the wiring in the hallway light was correct at the top floor.

I then moved into replacing a toilet light on the top floor and a toilet light on the middle floor. The toilet light on the middle floor works but now none of the top floor light work.

I therefore took down the top floor toilet light and simply left the wires bare and not connected to anything to see if I can get the rest of the lights to work in case this was the culprit but none of the top floor lights will turn on.

Can anyone give me suggestions on what to try next?

If one of the lights on any floor are wired incorrectly will it affect all the lights on that whole floor? I would have expected only that light wouldnt work.

Could the working toilet light on the middle floor contribute to the non working lights on the top floor (despite working)?

Could it be a fuse somewhere being the culprit? My house is 5 yrs old and has a circuit breaker so I am assuming there are no broken fuses to replace. Is this correct?

Why if I disconnect the upstairs toilet light does the upstairs hallway light still not work despite it working before I replaced the toilet light?


If I need to get an expert out how much do you think this simple issue will cost?

Thanks

Each light has permanent live,loop feed to next room and a switched live.
leave the lights that work on, try the non working lights, if they now work, turn off each one till you find the switch that turns off more than one room, if it does check the light in that room ,the loop feed possibly connected to the switch return.
Remember some wires are live even with switch off and light off so isolate supply and test or get qualified person.

sorry, just re read your post ,You first need to reconect the missing light before trying above.

Each room will have three red/brown joined together these become PERMANTLY LIVE when the fuse is in .
There will be two black/ blue neutrals joined together,with the light fitting neutral.
ONE OTHER BLACK IS NOT A NEUTRAL IT IS A SWITCH WIRE WHICH IS LIVE only WHEN SWITCH IS ON and is usually on its own with red/brown sleeving or tape on it this joins to the light fitting live DO NOT JOIN TO OTHER BLACK/BLUE.
OR it will blow fuse when you operate switch.
In some buildings it may also be red/brown.
If unsure you will need a meter to trace which cable is what
ALL EARTH WIRES JOIN TOGETHER AND METAL FITTINGS MUST BE EARTHED.
Ther may be more wires if there is two lights or a fan in the same room as well.
Each room is linked to the next like a chain therefore if one is wrong it WILL affect the others further along.
The last room on circuit will have one less live and neutral obviously as it is the end.
A good elect should do this in two hours easy

Ukbondraider
best in your sparky and the cost should be miinimal.
he should not take long to sort this

BLAKEY1963