Ceiling light not working
johndee
my house because the ceiling light would not come on. It still does not
after switch replacement. Old switch tests as good. Using a two-wire
device with a small lightbulb, I have tested the switch hooked up in
off position, and the test light does not light up. On other switches
in the house it does light up. I also tested other ceiling light
sockets with the same device and the test light comes on. The light
socket in question yields a no-light on the test device. My question:
Is there a break or short in the wire from the switch to the socket, or
is the socket bad? Related question: How do I find out where the
possible break or short in the wire is located? Any help is
appreciated, thank you.
Rich Grise
Probe the switch box itself with your test light, from hot to neutral. If
there is no power there, then the fault is between the box and the
distribution panel (fusebox). If there's power to the switch, and power
on the output side of the switch when it's "on", but still no power at
the socket, then the fault is between the switch box and the socket. In
that case, you'll have to open the box the socket is mounted in and check
its connections, or go into the attic and check the wires.
Good Luck!
Rich
Sean
Please, if you don't really know what you are doing, don't do it. Mains
electricity is nothing to fool around with.
However:-
If I'm reading this right, you don't have power to the switch.
Check the connection from your fuse of circuit breaker box.
Go to RS or Radio shack (depending on continent) and buy yourself a
cheap multimeter. Set it to Volts and the right range, if necessary,
and test for voltage on the wires leading to your switch.
If there is no voltage, then the fuse is blown or the wire is
disconnected somewhere between distribution box and switch.
If all else fails, hire an electrician. How much is your life or your
house worth?
For God's sake, be careful. The worlds cemetaries have more than their
fair share of amateur electricians.
Roger Dewhurst
"johndee" <j...@gci.net> wrote in message
news:1168467699....@k58g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
If you have not been able to nut this out without help just get a sparkie.
R
>
Snap Whipcrack..............
wire in the switch box. The neutral goes directly to the light socket.
So a light test probe will not work across the open switch unless the
socket is good and a bulb is in the socket to complete the path.
Cut the wires off the light socket, strip them and turn on the switch
and test the bare wires for voltage. You should get something if the
wires are good. Try not to become part of the circuit.
Ryan Weihl
sockets "wear" out, specially if you use a 100W bulb
in a socket rated at 60W. The inner metal "spring" weakens
with age and does not make a good contact.
replace the socket assembly, here they cost $4.50 or so.
rw
--
ehsjr
Nobody has mentioned this, probably because it is so
obvious: did you replace the bulb? Depending on how
you use the test light and how your circuit is wired,
the test light won't light up if the bulb (or the wiring)
is bad. Below, the hot feed goes first to the junction
box containing the switch on 2 wires. From that junction
box it goes to the junction box where the light is installed
on 2 more wires, so there are 4 wires in the switch box,
not including any ground wires.
/
AC hot (black wire) --------o o------------+
A B |
AC neutral (white wire) ------+------+ |
C | |
| |
+-BulB-+
Using a test light connected at the points I
labeled A & B, the light will not glow if the
bulb is bad. To say you have no power to the
switch may be wrong - it depends on how you
used the test light. If you have the wiring
shown above, the test should be from A to C
to determine whether you have power to the
switch.
It can also be wired like this:
AC hot (black wire)--------------+
|
+-------------+ A
|
[Switch]
|
+-------------+ B
|
[Bulb]
|
AC neutral (white wire) ---------+
In this case, the AC feed goes directly to the junction
box where the light is installed. The black wire feed is
connected to a "switch loop" to go out to a different
junction box where the switch is installed, then back
to the light fixture junction box. Testing from A to B
won't make the test light glow if the bulb is open.
And, depending on the test light and the size of the
bulb in the circuit, you may not see the test light glow
even if the bulb is good.
People have mentioned a bad socket - and that may very
well be your problem. Be extra careful before messing
with it. You have no indication to tell you when the
power is definitely off, because the light isn't working.
Kill the breaker for that circuit before touching the
wiring. If you don't know which breaker it is, kill them
all. Better to kill the breakers than yourself.
Ed
johndee
ehsjr wrote:
> People have mentioned a bad socket - and that may very
> well be your problem. Be extra careful before messing
> with it. You have no indication to tell you when the
> power is definitely off, because the light isn't working.
> Kill the breaker for that circuit before touching the
> wiring. If you don't know which breaker it is, kill them
> all. Better to kill the breakers than yourself.
>
> Ed
Thanks to ALL who responded. Thank you, Ed, for the diagrams. I am
going to have an electrician look at it. I do not have the knowledge or
equipment. All of the posts have made me more aware of just how
dangerous this can be for one who really does not know what he is
doing.
Again, thanks to all of you!
Rich Grise
Thanks for coming back with the acknowledgement. :-)
This is a rare and valued attribute for a googlie to have. :-)
Cheers!
Rich