Electrical Problem
 

One that has us stumped:

In bathroom had a light fitting that one day suddenly stopped working.
First thing tried was to change the light bulb (screw type) - no luck. Got
a normal pendant and fitted this to the wiring and it worked. But when I
got a replacement bathroom fitting and wired up the light it doesn't work
again.

So at present still using the normal pendent light. Have tried three
different fitting still no luck.

Appears to be :

Junction Box-----two wire Join------fitting.

Have tried to replace the wiring between the join and the fitting with no
luck, the wiring appear to be live at the fitting anyway.


Any ideas on this one?

(Not me, posted in the third party)

Steve

"Steve Peake" wrote in message
.. .
One that has us stumped:

In bathroom had a light fitting that one day suddenly stopped working.
First thing tried was to change the light bulb (screw type) - no luck.
Got
a normal pendant and fitted this to the wiring and it worked. But when I
got a replacement bathroom fitting and wired up the light it doesn't work
again.

So at present still using the normal pendent light. Have tried three
different fitting still no luck.

Appears to be :

Junction Box-----two wire Join------fitting.

Have tried to replace the wiring between the join and the fitting with no
luck, the wiring appear to be live at the fitting anyway.


Any ideas on this one?

(Not me, posted in the third party)

Steve


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

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.

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

"Steve Peake" wrote in message
.. .

Any ideas on this one?


I have had screw in bulbs that fail to make contact with the centre
connector.
I had to apply some solder to make them work.

"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.

dennis@home wrote:
"Steve Peake" wrote in message
.. .

Any ideas on this one?



I have had screw in bulbs that fail to make contact with the centre
connector.
I had to apply some solder to make them work.


2nd'ed with the screw caps.

Also, had the same with bayonets - although these tend to work if
"wiggled".

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 15:46:11 GMT, BigWallop wrote:

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.

Thats something to check, not sure how the basic pendant fitting seems to
work fine, but the bathroom fitting doesn't though.

The other post about the batch of bulbs being too short for that type of
screw fitting also sounds possible (as the pendant has baynet so it wasn't
the same type of bulb fitted)

Cheers All

Steve

"Steve Peake" wrote in message
.. .
One that has us stumped:

In bathroom had a light fitting that one day suddenly stopped working.
First thing tried was to change the light bulb (screw type) - no luck.
Got
a normal pendant and fitted this to the wiring and it worked. But when I
got a replacement bathroom fitting and wired up the light it doesn't work
again.

So at present still using the normal pendent light. Have tried three
different fitting still no luck.

Appears to be :

Junction Box-----two wire Join------fitting.

Have tried to replace the wiring between the join and the fitting with no
luck, the wiring appear to be live at the fitting anyway.


Any ideas on this one?

(Not me, posted in the third party)

Steve

You don't describe the fitting but... I was called out by a friend who had
changed the lamp in the shaving light but it didn't work. However I
refitted the lamp cover - which has a contact on it - and then it was OK.

Peter