It is best to use tapwater to water seedlings as they can be susceptible to 'damping off' if other water is used. Once they start to show through remove the lid but keep the compost moist. spray with a fungicide to avoid damping off. Use fresh compost each time and clean pots, too. the cold weather hasn't helped either. we need a bit of warm weather to encourage the seedlings. Keep at it and you will succeed!

*Quote; i sowed some seeds, leeks, lettuce etc, t in chunky compost, they all died,*

In hind site you would have been better sieving the compost, as you have found when you sowed in john innes seedling compost

*Quote;but again have gone brown and died.i was using propagators 24/7, again no heat in the greenhouse,
when i go in i usually tip the water that has collected on the lids into the seed trays is this what is causing it.*

I am assuming the propagator was heated and this has created lots of condensation, which in turn have created a situation known as 'damping off'

Added to this returning the condensates was not really a good idea!

Compost just need to be damp not soaking!

*Quote i am very new to gardening but already losing hope.*

Don't be disheartened millions of people before you have suffered this situation before you, including myself and I daresay there are many who also visit this forum have suffered as well.

Let me tell you this; I have been gardening for over forty years, and this year has been the worst seed propagation year I have ever had, so don't be too hard on yourself it happens to the best of us!

So try again and ease of on the watering....remember this the seed can only take up so much of the moisture in the compost, the tiny roots can only take a little more.

So there is no needs for lots of water!

Think of it this way; You only wean a new born baby gradually up to a full bottle, plants are no differen!

Why not start with something simple like annuals that don,t need a propagator, use seed trays divided into cells they make the least root disturbance and follow Teegee's advice

What size is this propagator as a matter of interest? Is it a heated one?

All my seeds are sown the same way. I use a sieved compost, then fill half or quarter size seed trays. I soak the compost, leave for a day to warm up as below, then sow the seeds as per instruction on the packet. I then enclose the tray in a plastic freezer bag, making a mini tent. This then goes onto a bottom heat source. I use an aluminium heat mat that are readily available with a thermostat set to 18'c/65'f that goes into a separate seed tray of the same size. As soon as the seeds show through the bag is taken off. All my seeds have germinated quickly and properly this year. Tomatoes took 5-7 days only at 100% germination, which was lucky as there were only 10 seeds in the packet.

Never get damping off problems, never use fungicidal spray, and i re use the compost time and time again.
My 10 litres of seed compost has been going for about 5 years now.

I like gravel trays. Just keep half an inch of water in them. It seeps up to the roots of seedlings, they dont get disturbed by top watering.