Anyone with any electrical knowledge please?

We have a double dimmer switch at the back door. One switch works the small ceiling lights in the kitchen, and the 2nd switch on the same socket lights one light in my boot room adjoining the kitchen, one outside light (bulkhead light), and then a double spotlight, plus a further bulkhead light on the garage for the drive. Now, the past couple of weeks, when I have had the outside lights on with one of the switches, after half an hour or so they all cut out? Dave thought he had put a replacement bulb in one of the bulkhead lights which was too powerful so he changed it and they came back on. However, tonight I had them on and again after half an hour they all cut out? 10 minutes later you can switch them back on again though! The rcd's don't trip out either, just the lights go out? The switch feels quite warm to the touch too? Any ideas please. I didn't have a problem at all last winter and we had exactly the same set up as we've got now, nothing's changed? Thanks!

Im no sparky Helen,but i think you've got a faulty switch and when it gets hot from being on for a while-it shuts everything down.It hasnt tripped your RCD's cause no short circuit occured,but in my unprofessional opinion-i think the switch is the cause.

Ok as repeated by my husband, check the wattage of the dimmer (open it up says on the back of it) he says for every light fitting allow a 100watt for each one, plus whatever the outside light wattage is.

Then when you look inside the dimmer if you are exceeding the stated wattage theres your problem.

You can either change it for a higher wattage dimmer or a standard switch.

Its hot basically because its overloading and its switching itself off (which is a good thing as it could catch fire).

Hes fully qualified by the way

Thanks Steve, I'm no professional either, but that's exactly what I thought coz it felt so warm, the whole switch!

Awwww, thanks for going to all that trouble for me Sarah, please thank your o/h for me! I will go to B & Q tomorrow and get another switch then. I intend changing one of the bulkhead lights to a double spotlight, so I'll count that as 2, I will count the spotlight we already have which has twolights as 2, plus anothe bulkhead light, plus the light in the bootroom, eeeeerm, think that's about 600watts I need. What about the OTHER dimmer switch on the same light switch (it's a double dimmer switch in other words!) which serves the kitchen small recessed downlighters then? Do I count these IN with the amount of wattage on the whole switch please??? There are only 3 of these downlighters on that switch which have 50w bulbs in them.

If I buy it, hopefully, he will fit it at the week-end!! What is baffling me though, is the face that they worked fine all last winter??

Wow helen thats a hell of a lot lol, he says if its a double dimmer yes you have to count everything that comes off it.


He reckons really you're best doing away with the dimmer,
without looking at it he doesnt know exactly what you have but safety wise going to a switch is better.

He says sometimes with electrics you dont get an instant fault it can take a while to build up then kapput.

(doesnt that sound like old age )

I guess from now on we're directing electrical questions at SarahJ

Thanks ever so much Sarah for asking again for me. That's exactly what I said to my husband too! I told him I don't need a dimmer switch at all on there, coz I never dim the kitchen downlighters, I always have them on full belt (well, I put my make up on in there!!!) and I never use the dimmer facility for the boot room either or the outside lighting, so what's the point in having a double dimmer switch!!! I think he got a job lot from Screwfix when we changed to chrome, and that's why he put it there in the first place. He won't let me go and buy it though coz he said he would only have to go back on Saturday and change it for the right one???????!!!!!!

I will let you know what he does in the end, or whether he's frazzled the house!!!!!! Thanks again, you're a star!

Yes Duboing, we'll definitely make a note of that!!!!!

Like the argos catolgue to kids is fantastic its the same with men but theirs is screwfix!!!! pmsl

No seriously he doesnt mind the odd question but ideally its not safe to give advice over the internet your better getting a qualified spark in, plus i never see him as it is without him joining a dog forum (my only pleasure in life )

Hope it goes well helen

My boyfriends a sparky he is at work so can't ask him anything sounds like Sarah J has sorted it now though. Glad it sorted

Lol! Funny you should say that Sarah, but I have just sat down on the pc and guess what's sitting on my desk?????? He must have spent all evening picking out his little goodies from the Screwfix catalogue, coz it's sitting here with his scribbled order - he leaves that bit to me!! Men!

We pay £32 a month for Sky tv too and guess what channel it's ALWAYS on when I want to watch something - Discovery Home and Leisure!!!!! Always!!!!

Thanks for all your help guys, especially you Sarah, and I now have a sparkly new chrome double normal switch by my back door, and so far so good!