On 29/05/2015 18:41, ARW wrote:
"GB" wrote in message
...
Flashing bathroom light - whilst switched off!

This is 2 yrs after a complete rebuild. Recently, the bathroom light
has started to flash whilst switched off. It flashes very briefly once
or twice a second. It's a fluorescent 2D fitting, two wires, no earth.

I suspect one of three reasons:
a) Problem with the switch that allows a small amount of current
through. Seems unlikely. The switch looks fine, and the light switches
on and off okay.
b) Water ingress into the fitting. But this looks fine. No sign of
water damage. And, in any case, it's switched off, so it should have
no live feed. (Yes, I know that live and neutral sometimes get muddled
up, but even so where's current going to without an earth?)
c) Water ingress into the wiring somewhere where I can't see it. This
is in a flat, so $deity knows what the person in the flat upstairs
lets overflow.

Any help would be appreciated.


None of the 3 reasons sound likely:-)

Not many 2D light fittings do not require an earth - can you give a make
and model no?

Sadly, I did not write it down. However, there were three wires coming
into the lamp. Live and neutral were appropriately terminated, and the
earth was just loose inside the fitting. I did not take it down and look
what was behind it. I could not reach. I'll have to get a small steps to
go in the car.


The girl in the upstairs flat keeps rabbits. I can't imagine that she
has a radar set up there!


Is there an extractor fan in the bathroom?


There is an extractor fan - in the basement. It's a centralised system,
and I think it's timed, rather than humidistat. There were two wires to
into each terminal of the light switch, so I assume one set connects to
the extractor system.