Landing light gone dead

[KennyB]

Hi guys, I am hoping you can offer some guidance please....

For some reason my upstairs landing light has stopped working. I did the usual things... checked fuse hadn't tripped and no it hadn't? Checked wiring was sound and screws tight on both switches and checked wiring at rose. The light has six bulbs and I took one out and checked it worked in another lamp. All the other lights in the house are working..... So now I am lost? I am starting to think a mouse may have chewed the wiring, but would have thought that would have tripped the circuit?

l would appreciate any suggestions... Thanks in advance

KennyB

 

[Blue Duck]

switch is knackered? 

 

[ProDave]

Yes one or other switch is broken, or there is a loose wire somewhere, possibly even in a hidden junction box. so be careful, if it's the neutral that is lost the light could still be live even though it's not "working"

As it's a light fitting with 6 lamps, it could even be a fault with the wiring inside the light fitting.
 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Broken joint prior to reaching that fitting. Did you use any test meters to verify the wiring is sound? otherwise with only screwdrivers and visual you will have proved very little.

Doc H. 

 

[KennyB]

Hi, having trouble working out how to respond to responses..... Christ knows what I'll do trying to fix the proble. Lol 

I didn't consider the switch might have become faulty? I will buy a replacement switch and try each switch in turn.

It would mean carpets and floorboards up to search for a junction box?

Thanks a million for your quick responses.

KennB

 

[ProDave]

The obvious suggestion is get a local electrician. In under half an hour he will be able to tell you what's wrong.  A look inside the switches and the light fitting will tell him if there are likely to be any hidden junction boxes or not.

I am not a fan of fixing it by "replace each part in turn"
 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Hi, having trouble working out how to respond to responses..... Christ knows what I'll do trying to fix the proble. Lol 

I didn't consider the switch might have become faulty? I will buy a replacement switch and try each switch in turn.

It would mean carpets and floorboards up to search for a junction box?

Thanks a million for your quick responses.

KennB

That is not a sensible method of fault detection. It could be that you have live all ok through the switch to the fitting but the neutral is broken in the circuit, in which case you will have wasted time and money swapping good items over. It could be a broken joint inside the fitting. Please let us know what test equipment you have access to, Continuity tester,  Voltmeter etc. without these you will be struggling to prove or identify anything. In which case the cheapest and quickest option generally is calling someone who does have suitable test equipment. Less than  a couple of minutes with a test meter can prove the switch. and a few more at the fitting can identify the type of fault you are looking at. 

Doc H  

 

[KennyB]

Fair point Doc..... I don't have a teeter so it looks like I'll have to call someone out... thanks

KennyB

 

[M107]

Or is the fitting of the 12 volt variety & has a transformer built in........?

 

[Blue Duck]

The obvious suggestion is get a local electrician. In under half an hour he will be able to tell you what's wrong.  A look inside the switches and the light fitting will tell him if there are likely to be any hidden junction boxes or not.

I am not a fan of fixing it by "replace each part in turn"
 

just going on the easiest, cheapest fix first....

If the OP had a tester then they could check a few things to rule out the simple things before calling someone in.

 

[Evans Electric]

To rule out the fitting itself you could try the following.

Find a simple pendant light fitting  (  The white rose on the ceiling with a short flex and a lampholder)   ..remove the flex & lampholder  ( remembering how it was connected)    

Remove the offending light fitting  ( Also remembering how it was connected , take a photo)    

Connect the simple flex & lampholder , insert a lamp ( Bulb)  & try it .

Edit :  All this carried out with power OFF!!!!!

If it doesn't work , get a Sparky in . 

 

[KennyB]

Worth a try... Thank you.

 

[Evans Electric]

Tell us how you get on .