Upstairs landing light either randomly flashes or stays on half brightness.

[Phill Gwynne]

I have two upstairs landing lights one has two switches the second downstairs and other landing light has two switches first in two gang switch with the first light mentioned and the other switch is single one near bathroom. Yesterday noticed first light was on but half the brightness and maybe little flickering. I flicked upstairs switch and it’s just go to full brightness but flicking switch back to first position it’d stay half brightness, so went downstairs and flicked switch, and it went full brightness and then flicked upstairs switch and it went off. But later on it’s flash now and then. I’m not an electrician but suspect The switch needs replacing as it’s quite old. But years put one of them screw drivers that’s lights up when touching a live part and the screws were live as the insulation snagged on metal box. Had an electrician just put insulation tape around it and been fine for about ten years, but just started suddenly. Could the old cfl bulb be a problem. Anything else worth checking?

 

[poni]

change the lamps over if the fault moves with the lamp, then get a new lamp, if the fault stays the the holder ,then get an electrician

 

[ProDave]

Had an electrician just put insulation tape around it and been fine for about ten years,

No you had a cowboy. I hope he replaced the probably missing grommet in the hole of the back box and sleeved any damage with proper sleeving not a bit of tape.

Calling it "insulation tape" is a misdemeanour

Have you recently changed the lamps perhaps for a different type?

 

[binky]

CFL do die eventually. Try a new lamp.

 

[Murdoch]

Swap the bulbs before you do anything else.

 

[poni]

Swap the bulbs before you do anything else.

i think that is what i said

 

[NozSpark]

Fix the damaged cable first!
if it’s a LED lamp coming on at a lower brightness it could be due to capacitive coupling,,, it you replace them with filament lamps I bet the “fault” clears