Porch light stopped working

[GHLT]

I have a porch light that was working nicely but stopped working suddenly.  I checked the power supply and found no AC power at the light connection.  I checked all the breakers and everything is in oder.  I am not sure what cause the sudden lost of power at the junction box.  Any suggestions as to what I should do next?

 

[Evans Electric]

Hi  GHLT   ,   although you are most welcome here ..do you realise this is a UK Forum ?   

There are a few differences between our electric systems  which can cause confusion  .   But here goes .

Follow the logical progression back from the light ...you say theres no power there  but the breakers are all on .. so is there power at the switch ,  does the switch work properly ?   Is there a night time sensor in the circuit ?     Although the  breaker is ON  . is it passing current ?  

Had any workmen in who may have damaged the cables . ?  

Is your tester functioning  OK ?  

Henderson , Nevada .  Thats not where Johnny Cash used to live , right ? 

 

[GHLT]

Hi Evans,

No, I didn't realize this is a UK forum but all the advices I have received so far are great and helpful.  I will keep in mind that there might be differences between our system.  Here are answers to your questions:

1. This porch light does not have a switch.  It is an outlet I had the builder put in as an extra.  

2. I think this outlet is on the night time sensor circuit because the light worked before (on at night and off at daytime) and then it just went black.  I test this bad outlet with the sensor circuit activated (i.e., I covered the photocell and the other two lights on this circuit were on) and there is no power at this bad outlet.  

3. No electrical works were done in my house before this outlet went bad.  It just stopped working.

4. My tester functions ok because I used it to test another outlet to verify.

No, Johnny Cash lived in Nashville, Tennessee.  Henderson, NV (Lake Las Vegas) is where Celine Dion lives.  In fact, she lives in the same development as I but she has a much bigger and better mansion...  

 

[Tony S]

Turn the power off and check the connections on the back of the receptacle. US practice is to use wrap around terminals which have a habit of working loose. (Part of the reason for AFCI's.)

Perhaps it’s as well you came on to an English site, on an American site you wouldn’t be very popular for allowing a builder to carry out electrical work.

 

[Motherboard42]

change the lightbulb maybe?

 

[Doc Hudson]

  I checked the power supply and found no AC power at the light connection. 

change the lightbulb maybe?

@Motherboard42  Can't see how changing the lightbulb would restore the loss of AC power at the light connection that the OP is enquiring about? As the power is supplied to and consumed by the light not generated by and output from the light. (Even in America)!

@GHLT  So I am assuming this faulty light position is the last one on the circuit, as you say other lights were working OK? But are you 100% they are all on the same circuit?  I think you will need to do some dismantling of the other outlets to verify the outgoing wires are still connected correctly, no wires broken off loose. Probably best to go back and do dead continuity tests along the whole circuit from the breaker onwards to double check nothing obvious disconnected elsewhere along the supply. 

Doc H

 

[Sharpend]

change the lightbulb maybe?

A typical boredmother answer.

@GHLT Please disregard this advice. The @Doc Hudson knows best. 

 

[Tony S]

change the lightbulb maybe?

You really need to read a thread before making inane comments. Typical of your all to familiar vexatious attitude.

 

[Motherboard42]

Sorry guys must have misread not a boredmother tho I'm not a lady 

 

[GHLT]

Thank you all for your comments.  I had a good laugh reading some of the comments...    

I was hoping for a quick and easy fix but I think I have reached my level of competence in electrical circuit trouble shooting...  I will need to hire a qualified electrician to check out the circuit.  

Quoting Client Eastwood in one of his movies: "A man's got to know his limitations".  I found mine...

A big thanks to Evans Electric and Doc Hudson.

 

[Tony S]

Quoting Client Eastwood in one of his movies: "A man's got to know his limitations".  I found mine...

We will help, we also know our limitations.

Take care and be safe.

 

[Evans Electric]

I thought Clint had only one quote attached to him ..... " ask yourself , do I feel lucky "   ? 

 

[GHLT]

@Evans Electric, Yes, that was also one of Client's famous quotes.  Here is another one I like:  "I have strong feelings about gun control. If there's a gun around, I want to be controlling it."