Changed a light fitting, Now another trip switched has stopped working.

Poster is in the UK.

Hey everyone,

I was switching out the light fittings in the front room of our flat (the one it came with is disgusting!) and I put the new one in like for like. There is one cable from the ceiling with a Blue (N), a Brown (L), and a Green/Yellow (E) wire coming from it. These were going into connector blocks fitting corresponding Blue, Brown and Green/Yellow wires to the old fitting.

I took this out, fitted a new connector block, and connected like for like wires again for Live, Neutral and Earth and secured the fitting. I flip the switch. TADA! New lights work. Great.

I then wander to the back of the flat and turn my bedroom light on... nothing, try the bathroom, nothing... second bedroom... nothing. The hallway works (weirdly because I swear it was on the same breaker switch as the back rooms!)

When looking at the breaker BEFORE I started, I have 3 switches. One did the front of the flat, One did the back (and hallway I'm pretty certain), and the 3rd didn't seem to do anything. Either way I switched them all off.

So: How come the lights in the back of the flat (which were on a different trip switch) do not work? It doesn't seem to make sense that re-wiring lights in the front, on a different switch, correctly (otherwise they wouldn't work), effects these lights at the back.

I understand there could be a lot of different reasons, but if I can help it I'd rather not call out an electrician for what seems like such a simple problem.

Many Thanks

 

100% sure there was only 3 incoming wires into the box where the light goes?
100% sure that other light is not on a three way switch? Look on the switch to see if it says on and off right on the switch, if not it may be a 3, way.
Did you mess with any of the wiring other then right at the light fixture?

 

Just took the fittings back off. The back lights still don't work

Double checked, I had wired up correctly. There are definitely only 3 wires in the cable coming from the ceiling. 100% blue, brown, green/yellow. Blue has no other markings on it.

Trip switches all have On/Off written on the switch themselves. All say on.

No other wiring was touched, I never went near anything else other than the 2 ceiling lights I changed.

Thanks

 

By fitting I mean the actual light on the ceiling not the switch! Sorry if that was unclear.

 

From your terminology I can only assume you are not located in the US, right? May be a problem unless one of our guys is familiar with your system. Fill in your profile and let us know where you are located.

 

I am in England. Have updated profile to reflect this.

 

If you are in a flat you are renting you should not be doing this yourself for reasons of liability. Ask your landlord to do it or hire an electrician.

 

I believe it is okay to change light fittings and switches, in the same way its okay to drill holes in the wall (assuming we fill those holes when we leave). As long as we do not alter the wiring in any way, neither do we require a electrician unless it is work in the Kitchen (and possibly bathroom?) Switching the light is a very simple job, the problem is when something unexpected like this happens. Worst case we just get an electrician in to find out the problem, and double check my handy work with the light.

I popped into the attic to see if somehow I had jogged some wires and caused a loose connection at some junction box. However no junction box is present anywhere near the light fittings, and the cables are clamped firmly to the beams, and thus cannot move even if I tugged and pulled on it firmly. I'm beginning to doubt any thing I did with lights has caused this as it was a straight switch and everything is secure up there.

In which case it is possibly co-incidence, and that the lights at the back would have failed had I just switched the power off and straight back on again. Still, I can't think of what on earth caused this to happen or what to try next before phoning someone in.