• Fault or repair

Customer description

I will try and describe the issue, which makes no sense to me, but I hope it will to an expert! The issue is with both of my two hall ceiling lights (which are recessed). The issue may or may not be the same with each, but the problem started at different times (two years apart, I just lived with the problem with one for about two years! It is only now I have absolutely no light in the hall that I am motivated that I must get this fixed).

So, about two years ago one of my recessed lights stopped working. It was working fine before Christmas, I went away for a few days, and suddenly it wasn't. I naturally assumed it was just a bulb needing replacing, so I tried that, but it didn't work. I mentioned it to my father (who is not an electrician, but does do some basic things around his own home), who came to see me soon after and took a look. One thing he looked at was the light switch itself (since he had recently changed the light switch for me, as I wanted chrome plated ones, and we wondered if there was some loose connection).

This is when the really weird thing happened (at least to me!): when the light switch plate was taken off and we started looking at it, the burglar alarm started ringing. (I should also mention that I'd not been able to get the burglar alarm working for a while, so I had no idea it even worked at all any more). We rang the fire alarm company but because I don't have a contract they wouldn't help me. I have never actually been able to switch it off (to this day, almost 2 years later). Instead, I have just pulled out the fuse (which is in the cupboard under the stairs).

I should perhaps also say that the light switch itself also controls a light on the floor above, and this one still works and is fine. So the issue seems not to be with the light switch itself.

About 1 month ago, the second recessed hall light also stopped working, just as suddenly as the first. I tried first replacing the bulb again, but it didn't help.

I am not sure whether the problem might be as simple as a transformer or something (though I am not sure how that relates to the fire alarm)?

Anyway, hopefully an expert would be able to figure this out and fix it!

Thanks.