Light keeps blowing a fuse

blissfulbabe

Guys

Could I have some advice please? My Mum moved into her new flat yesterday and all is well except everytime she switches the kitchen light off it blows the fuse for the lighting circuit.

I've had a quick look at the wiring and there are three black wires, three red wires and one green/ yellow wire coming from the ceiling and all the red wires are in one connector thingy (that's as technical as I get!), all the black ones in another and the green/ yellow one in another. I have a vague memory helping my dad rewire a light fitting and I'm sure that he wired it differently.

My mum can't afford to call an electrician until payday (that's 10 days away). The question I have is can she leaved the light switched on permenantly (her preferred option) or should she not use the light until she can get it checked (my option)?

Any advice welcome

adandem

What sort of bulbs are they?

I had this problem with the spots, GU10 bulbs in our kitchen. We've changed them for fused bulbs now so that only the bulb blows and not the house fuse.
Does she own or is she renting the flat?

Mikeyorks

If the bulb isn't blowing at the same time ..... I would be looking at the switch first? And I would be doing it fairly urgently .... don't you have someone who's reasonably useful (and careful) who can do a basic check - even if not a fix?
Failing that .... I would go with not using it. Put a table lamp in the kitchen ....... well away from the sink!

blissfulbabe

Thanks for the replies - I've solved the problem - I've taken the fuse out of the fuse box!:rotfl:

espresso

blissfulbabe wrote: »

Thanks for the replies - I've solved the problem - I've taken the fuse out of the fuse box!:rotfl:

Female logic!

:rolleyes:

shandypants5

espresso wrote: »

Female logic!

:rolleyes:

:rotfl: I wish I could solve ALL my problems that way...:rotfl:

NOW...wheres that mortgage fuse...hmmmn......

Mikeyorks

blissfulbabe wrote: »

I've taken the fuse out of the fuse box!

As that's the entire lighting circuit fuse ..... doesn't your Mum keep falling over things after dark?

Wouldn't it have been easier just to tape over the kitchen light switch!

(Male logic:p )

fas3robinj

It doesn't sound right - 3 red to one terminal & 3 black to another. Most fittings I've worked on have at least 4 separate terminals (you only mentioned three).

Wiring for lighting can be quite complicated. Normally a live and neutral terminal are found in the ceiling fitting. Then a couple of wires loop out to the light switch.

Has the wiring been messed with by anyone? Is it a two way lighting circuit i.e are there two switches for the light. Really sounds like faulty wiring.

What ever you do, don't mess with it. Leave the fuse out, and get a qualified person to look at it.

Inactive

Most have the reds all in one terminal, other blacks in another with just one of the blacks ( switch wire ) in another, the green yellows in another.

It sounds very much like a wiring fault at the light fitting.

knightstyle

Remember that electricity is dangerous, but here is a way to sort this common problem out.
1 Remove fuse
2 Separate black wires, join all red wires
3 Replace fuse, if it blows call electrician, if ok leave fuse in and touch each black wire with a neon screwdriver if one lights the neon note which one, if not switch the switch and one should then light the neon, remember which one this is.
4 Remove the fuse
5 Join all the red wires together in the ceiling rose middle connection, or a connector, they must not be connected to the lamp.
6 Join the two black wires which did not light the neon to the N terminal in ceiling rose or a connector leading to the blue lamp wire.
7 The other black wire which lit the neon is the live feed to the lamp, it should have a red sleeve, you can mark it with a touch of nail varnish, connect it to the L terminal in ceiling rose or the connector leading to the brown lamp wire
8 replace fuse.

Hope all this makes sense, it is really a job for an electrician but with care it is safe for you to do.
Good luck.

yankee-doo