Advice Please

[kewalks]

My builder is trying to replace a single bulb with a chandelier. The bulb has been working fine but as soon as the neutral is connected to the new chandelier the power cuts out but doesn't trip. When testing the wires it still shoes a current coming in - until you connect the neutral. It is a dimmable chandelier of 120w connected to a dimmer switch with a max load of 400W. {It is a radial circuit of a rose}

Any advice most gratefully received - we are pulling our hair out.

Thanks so much,

K

 

[kewalks]

Apologies for typos in previous thread - here is edited version.

My builder is trying to replace a single bulb with a chandelier. The bulb has been working fine but as soon as the neutral is connected to the new chandelier the power cuts out but doesn't trip. When testing the wires it still shows a current coming in - until you connect the neutral. It is a dimmable chandelier of 120w connected to a dimmer switch with a max load of 400W. {It is a radial circuit off a rose}

Any advice most gratefully received - we are pulling our hair out.

Thanks so much,

K

 

[ProDave]

Well the obvious answer is the builder is not a competent electrician, so you need to call a competent electrician to sort it out.

Most likely in the process of changing the fitting he has got some wires muddles up. Don't assume every red wire is live and every black wire is neutral.

I don't understand the bit "as soon as you connect the neutral the power cuts out" So what are you measuring where to determine the "power cuts out"

If you don't have any test equipment and don't know how to use it, you really need someone else I'm afraid.

 

[kewalks]

Thanks Dave. The wires have definitely not been muddled up and the builder does have test equipment which is showing the supply is fine.

The house has recently been rewired but unfortunately the electrician has gone incommunicado on us.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[ProDave]

If you are sure it's wired correct, I would put my money on the dimmer switch has packed up. With no load, it might well measure okay on a volt meter.

Try substituting a normal switch in place of the dimmer and try again.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Thanks Dave. The wires have definitely not been muddled up and the builder does have test equipment which is showing the supply is fine.The house has recently been rewired but unfortunately the electrician has gone incommunicado on us.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Apologies for typos in previous thread - here is edited version.My builder is trying to replace a single bulb with a chandelier. The bulb has been working fine but as soon as the neutral is connected to the new chandelier the power cuts out but doesn't trip. When testing the wires it still shows a current coming in - until you connect the neutral. It is a dimmable chandelier of 120w connected to a dimmer switch with a max load of 400W. {It is a radial circuit off a rose}

Any advice most gratefully received - we are pulling our hair out.

Thanks so much,

K

Welcome to the forum Keywalks. To be quite honest is does sound as though your builder is out of his depth, (Although all builders claim to be able to do electrics). A few observations, The test meter the builder is using is probably a cheep digital multimeter that will tend to show induced voltages up the cables even when they are not live. Has the builder checked the minimum output rating of the dimmer they all have a min & max range? Has the dimmer got an integral fuse? Any competent person would generally fix an anomaly like this quite quickly it wouldn't require to much basic testing to verify all cables, feeds, switch wires, earthing, Some photographs of the actual wires at the light fitting and dimmer would be helpful. Did you have test certificates and Part P compliance certificate for the previous re-wire? Is the light the end of the circuit or mid way along the radial? do all other lights still work OK?

Doc H.