Ceiling Pendant Not Working

[old wrinkly]

I have just had a new ceiling fitted in my study following a water leak in the loft.

The old pendant was replaced with a new one by the guys that did the ceiling.

I have just fitted a new bulb and tried the light but it isn't working. I have checked that the bulb is working.

I have unscrewed the cover and there are two black wires, one going to the live and one to neutral. There are two reds which are commoned in some sort of white cap.

Using a screwdriver mains tester I have confirmed that the testers neon lights up on the two incoming blacks, and on the live and neutral going to the bulb holder. I have also tested the pins on the bulb holder and the testers neon also lights up so everything looks to be OK.

I have not as yet checked the two commoned reds.

I am a bit baffled at the moment as to why the bulb is not lighting and would appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

[Spark123]

A neon screwdriver is the wrong tool for trying to test anything, you need a multimeter.
Have you tried another bulb?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I have checked that the bulb is working.

 

[flameport]

Switch is broken / loose wires at the switch / loose wire at the previous light fitting on the circuit which is most likely in the adjacent room.

 

[old wrinkly]

Thanks for the replies.

I had assumed that if the neon on the test scredriver showed then it indicated power. Have always used one just for a quick continuity check.

Other than the pendant being changed nothing else has been touched/altered in the room so as it was all working before doesn't make a lot of sense as to why it doesn't work now. Was thinking of trying another pendant, just in case.

However as the hall ceiling had been replastered at the same time I did change the pendant on that, but after the study pendant had been replaced, and this is working fine. I always make of note of the wiring before I change anything so that I am sure I connect everything back as it was before.

Could it be that the commoned reds have been disturbed so not completing the circuit?

 

[maltaron]

I'm confused. The "guys who did the ceiling", presumably plasterers, also did the electrics, and did not check if it worked before they left!!!

 

[old wrinkly]

In their defence I had asked them to mark on the new ceiling where I should put the screws to hold the new pendant so that I could make a good fix as I didn't want to fit the old one again, it being cracked and grubby, but to help me they fitted it instead whilst I was out.

It was not part of their work and so I would not have expected them to test it (they wouldn't have had a bulb anyway) and as we have been busy painting I didn't get around to checking until the weekend.

I know that in this modern world it was strictly an electricians job but replacing a light pendant is probably done every day by non electricians and in 99% of cases, provided everything is put back where it started, there isn't an issue.

I'm sure it is going to be something very simple.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Get a multimeter and it will be.

 

[old wrinkly]

Hi

Have spent the last hour trying to check things out but no joy.

I have confirmed that there is power at the light switch and it is switching on/off OK. There is a red in and a black out.

On the ceiling rose in question there are two black wires, one going to the brown(live) of the pendant and the other to the blue(neutral) of the pendant. There are also two reds commoned together and I have checked these are OK i.e still connected together. Neither of the blacks is marked with red tape.

I have bypassed the actual connectors of the ceiling rose and gone, via a connector strip (terminal block), to a a light and that doesn't work either. So it's obviously not the actual ceiling rose that's faulty.

I have checked the actual black cables and non register on the neon of the tester as far as I can tell.

I have a meter but not sure how to connect. Do I test across the blacks to the common reds? Should I get a reading off both blacks if the light switch is on? Do I just need to check for voltage?

I am trying to get hold of the plasterers to see if by any chance they could have nicked the cable when nailing up the ceiling boards although the main fuse box isn't tripping out, but of course is not covered by RCD

 

[old wrinkly]

PROBLEM SOLVED

Had the artex on the hall ceiling removed at the same time as having the ceiling replaced and it seems that the plasters took the ceiling pendant down and when they refitted the original pendant they missed that one of the black wires had come adrift and been pushed up into the ceiling.

When I changed the pendant I only saw the paired black wires, not the third which was going off to the study so although the hall light worked the study light didn't.

Problem seems to have been caused by the cables in the loft having been looped together which put a strain on the third black and it came adrift from the other blacks.

Now have light!!!

 

[wingcoax]

To prevent any future problems of this type, put a red/brown sleeve on the black switch return core at the switch and in the ceiling rose.