chandalier light goes dim as you add more lamps

[snowhead]

guesses??? we don't do guesses. just a " got it sorted, mate, just need a connector from the van" ( while scratching head)

Or, I'm off to get my Multi Function Tester, that'll find the fault..

 

[guest119]

Sounds to me like a situation a domestic spark will recognise.

Wiring up/downstairs lights from a 2 way switch/ 3 core for strappers for some reason ended up being a 2 core, no neutral therefor at up or downstairs light to match the circuit the switchwire comes from.
I reckon then that the single green has been hastily put in and is actually a neutral and belongs together with the blue wire.

Incidentally (or more importantly) the pair of earth wires on the light fitting need to be together as one and connected to the ceiling earth. There may be 2 earths on the light for several reasons ie one for the fitting and one for the cup (rose).

 

[Rockingit]

Back to basics, boys......

Q: What makes a light dim? A: a change in voltage (given that it's [for this purpose] a fixed resistance).
Q: What makes a voltage change? A: Resistance in the circuit
Q: What [sensible] options are there? A: (1) Faulty fitting wired in series; (2) Cable length is already at the max for VD for a single lamp [unlikely]; (3) loose connection; (4) there's more to this story yet to come.....

Logically, if the fault is a 'missing' or 'crossed' then it won't have worked before and won't work now with just a single lamp.
If all the other lamps in the house are energy saver types, it could be as simple as the house has a very low incoming voltage and this is the first device to show it.

 

[Jimmyb]

I would of thought it was a missing neutral my self, it will prob have something to do with the other single wire which will be a single neutral with an earth

 

[ian.settle1]

Sounds like someone who did not know what they were doing has tried to change a fitting and is now asking what to do, unless he tells us what he has actullay done we should nod not speculate to what the problem is.

 

[picturevalve]

Sounds very dangerous, it seems the fitting is in series with the phase and adding more lamps into the chandelier reduces the resistance and thus the voltage drop across the chandelier so it gets progressively dimmer. Pull up some floorboards to see what's connected where, don't guess.

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

But didn't a lamp work correctly there before?

 

[snowhead]

But didn't a lamp work correctly there before?

Worked, maybe not correctly.

 

[Guest111]

FFS get a proper spark in,dont you love it eh? Diy dave decides to have a go over the holidays hasn't got a scooby what he's doing then wants the lads to go all mystic meg and sort it.

 

[snowhead]

FFS get a proper spark in,dont you love it eh? Diy dave decides to have a go over the holidays hasn't got a scooby what he's doing then wants the lads to go all mystic meg and sort it.

Trigger, How do you know his name is Dave, could be Rodney, but he'd still be a ,,

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Said previously you need a spark to check voltage & polarity, IMHO

 

[Kamikaze]

For the OP to try and sort this one out himself over the internet is like suck starting a shotgun. Without any test equipment and the know-how of how to use it and the knowledge of what to look for its hopeless.

 

[picturevalve]

Original installation was all energy savers, these will work happily and in spec down to ~190v and will probably work at even lower voltages - will have to try it sometime, out of curiosity.

 

[pallys]

Was the single cable coming out of the ceiling twin and earth, with sleeving on the earth (green /yellow)
OR a flexible cable?

Was the upstairs a similar type cable?

When you wired the second chandellier upstairs was the first still wired in down stairs?

You won't be able to guess your way out, even an experienced spark might need a couple of guesses.

Yes, single cable, with three core wires, brown, blue, green/yellow. And another lonely green/yellow wire external to the main cable.

Yes upstairs has same configuration.

Sounds to me like a situation a domestic spark will recognise.

Wiring up/downstairs lights from a 2 way switch/ 3 core for strappers for some reason ended up being a 2 core, no neutral therefor at up or downstairs light to match the circuit the switchwire comes from.
I reckon then that the single green has been hastily put in and is actually a neutral and belongs together with the blue wire.

Incidentally (or more importantly) the pair of earth wires on the light fitting need to be together as one and connected to the ceiling earth. There may be 2 earths on the light for several reasons ie one for the fitting and one for the cup (rose).

Yes chandalier had 2 earths for fitting and cup rose. Second chandalier I tried that was class 2 did not require earth - but still same problem.

But didn't a lamp work correctly there before?

Yes was a 60w halogen in there before that seemed fully bright.

Thanks for the help guys, I will call out an electrician, I thought it might be something dead obvious. Will let you know what he says.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi, what happens when you remove a lamp ? If wired in series all lamps will go out when you remove one.

if the chandelier itself (the internal wiring of it) is in series...then yes......except they arn`t are they...lol....
use you head mate eh.....

 

[thekingiam]

my first thought is energy saving lamp with normal halogen lamp on a dimmer, what type of energy saving lamp what electronics inside is it dimable. take out energy saving bulb put in two rated the same and dimmable might solve problem before delving into testing etc?