"Steve Peake" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:38:16 GMT, BigWallop wrote:

It sounds like a loose neutral connection, or the bulb being used has
been
busted during all the taking down and putting up again.

I know the bulb is fine, it was swithced between a screw for the old
fitting and a baynet for the temp one.

A neutral break will show as a live supply when you use a mains tester
screw
driver, and to make sure that the circuit is actually continuous through
all
conductors you need to use a multi-meter to test it. It's called a
continuity test.

Could you explain this one, would that mean that the Neutral side is live?

Steve

No, the neutral side is completely dead because it's broken or disconnected
somewhere. For electricity to be useful it must flow correctly back to the
supply from whence it came, this needs the use of two insulated conducting
paths (Live and Neutral). If the live is still properly connected and
unbroken then a test with a mains tester screw driver type of device will
show it as live, but the same tester won't show if the neutral path is still
fully operable.

The use of a meter to check that both live and neutral paths are still
properly connected is the only safe way to make sure that the circuit has a
continuous loop for the electricity to flow around. So, the fault you have
sounds by your description like a break or disconnection on the neutral path
away from the circuit, as you say the live is still show OK on your mains
tester screw driver. Is this correct? But you have no means to safely test
the neutral path for breaks or disconnection so you can't say it is OK by
using your tester screw driver.

It could also be the switch that has gone belly up of course.