Why don't my lights work?

Dave Long

Dave Long

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Tewkesbury
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Hi Forum members!
I added new electrics to my shed this weekend.
All new wiring and components.
As per the attached circuit diagram i have wired up what i think is correct; but am not getting any lights to come on.
I have checked at the consumer unit i installed in the shed and have 240v out of the RCD.
My sockets work fine. :)
My guess is I have something obviously wrong in my wiring, but wanted to see if a fresh pair of eyes can spot the problem before i start to get frustrated. o_O
These are two ceiling rose assemblies, a switch and a consumer unit, so very simple, and all very close to each other.
If someone can let me know I would be grateful.
 

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Dave Long said:
have 240v out of the RCD
Click to expand...
Don't you mean MCB?

The brown wire that goes to light 2 is in the wrong place. It should be on the L terminal of the rose of light 1, not in the loop terminal.

As above, the way it is currently wired, light 2 would be permanently on and light 1 should work properly.
If it doesnt then you'll need a multimeter to check voltage at the first rose. It smells to me of a missing neutral so it is important to check the neutral and line connections, so one of those neon screwdrivers isn't going to cut the mustard.
 
I have a selectable range multimeter.
I have an RCD feeding into MCBs.
Neither light is permanently on, both are off regardless of the switch position.
 
Then something is not connected where it needs to be.

Test at the first fitting live-earth, live-neutral and neutral-earth. You should have 230v, 230v and 0v respectively.
 
In your drawing, you show the incoming mains live going to one side of the RCD and the neutral going to the other. Is that really how it's designed to be wired?

If it's wrong, I would expect that to cause it to trip as soon as you took any power from it.

The fact that your sockets work is worrying.
 
As said, light 2 is wired wrong - it would stay on all the time.

As said, the neutral supply wire to the consumer unit is the wrong side of the switch.

How have you confirmed the sockets work?

Photos would be very useful here to confirm what you have ACTUALLY done, as the wiring diagram doesn't show everything.
 
The wiring diagram shows the wiring exactly as i have wired the circuit.
I tested the sockets by plugging in equipment, and once switched on, the equipment works as expected.
No lights come on at all.
No tripping of any MCB switches occur, either in the shed or in the house. o_O
I will do some multimeter checks tonight and note some readings.
"As said, the neutral supply wire to the consumer unit is the wrong side of the switch." will check that 1st,
but surely if my wiring was wrong at the beginning of the circuit, i would get nothing at all at the socket?:?:
 
Maybe you have trapped a conductor by its insulation, giving a break in the circuit?

Start from the MCB and work through the live loop of the circuit.
 
I've removed the image sorry shouldn't have posted it - Tad worrying that it is one of the first images on a google search for wiring RCD circuits
 
Last edited:
It will help to create an almighty bang when switched on, and given the level of expertise displayed by the OP, I'd not be completely sure that he wouldn't wire it up like that.

WTH were you thinking when you posted it?
 
Got my works electrician to advise me, looks like my switch live is in the wrong place for the 2nd light,
AND i must have a break in the circuit, as you say, the 2nd light should be on permanently but isn't.
He thinks possibly insulation clamp issue or broken circuit.
The consumer unit and switches are wired correctly.
Looking forward to testing later :)
Will feedback the results.
(the picture above is of the exact assembly i have, but the bottom connection seems odd,
why would we connect the bottom 4 ? the one on the right is a neutral:eek: and the other 3 are live)
There is a solid bus bar which connects the 3 on the left on mine.
Will post pics later
 
Dave Long said:
I added new electrics to my shed this weekend.
Click to expand...
Are you aware that you should have applied for Building Regulations approval before starting?


Dave Long said:
I have a selectable range multimeter.
Click to expand...
And with that can you carry our insulation resistance tests?

Can you measure fault loop impedance with the required low-range accuracy?

Can you test the functioning of the RCD?


Dave Long said:
I tested the sockets by plugging in equipment
Click to expand...
Woefully inadequate.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
 
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