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Electrical

Spotlight Failure

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 2.47 PM

I had a bulb blow in my ceiling spotlight fitting and it tripped out the mains box. I replaced the bulb and reset the trip switch but the light did not work. I replaced the light fitting and the wall switch still nothing. I tested for power at the connector block in the ceiling after removing the light fitting and there is power. The strange thing is if I connect any light fitting either a pendant or the new spotlight there is no power at the block connector from the ceiling. It seems that completing the circuit cuts of the power. I have replaced this fitting a few times in the past and never had a problem before. I called an electrician who said there was a neutral wire missing and said it would mean taking up floorboards upstairs to add this extra neutral wire and he said all my lights were wired incorrectly. I don't believe what he said as all my light are wired the same with live , neutral and earth and work fine without the extra neutral, why would you need two ? I have looked above the ceiling with my sons bendy spy camera and a torch for this mystery neutral wire and there is nothing there just floor boards and ceiling plasterboard. So I am sure I didn't detach any wires when I pulled the connector block through the hole in the ceiling. Has anyone had this problem before as the wiring is the same as it has always been and this has really got me stumped. I am testing with an insulated tester with a light and two probes that shows power at the ceiling connector block and shows no power if I connect and type of light fitting to it. The main aim of my question is to establish why a previously working power source would for no apparent reason not work when another light (which works elsewhere ) stops the power to the connector block in the ceiling showing power when it's connected.

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3 Answers

DEACON ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Rating: 5 out of 5

Grimsby

So, you have had an electrician round and you don't believe him ! If that's what he said it is why not? The onus would be on him to fix it and get it all working surely? So whatever we all said on here you wouldn't believe us either then, and we haven't even seen it. You probably won't take it from me, but, I would swallow your pride, admit defeat, and get him back to fix it. Only my opinion. Your Edit. 1. Broken connection somewhere 2. Loose connection resulting overheating and connection becomes detached. 3. You could have reverse polarity 4. etc, etc, etc. As I said before this needs a professional with a multimeter to fault find, rectify the fault, a bit of common sense, and hey presto.

Answered28 February 2017

AAL Electrical LTD

Rating: 5 out of 5

Leigh On Sea

if everything was working ok before hand it can't be anything too major. You say you have power at the connection but the light does not work when you connect it. If you have power it doesn't just disappear. Providing you have 230v between live and earth and live and neutral and nothing between neutral and earth then can only be a switch line issue. Obviously without seeing it it's hard to say for definite.

Answered1 March 2017

E3 Electrical

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Winscombe

If your light was working and tripped the circuit it might have been for a different reason than the bulb blowing. How are you testing for power at the light? If your using a volt stick or pen they can show live without having 230 volts and can lead to confusion. Try doing the screws up or seeing if you have a broken cable at the light - they are the usual faults with loss of power at a light. It might even be a light switch gone faulty especially if you are using a dimmer switch.

Answered1 March 2017