Dinning room light won't work

[Minidink5]

The other day the dinning room light tripped, wouldn't switch on and I assumed the bulbs had blown. Changed the light bulbs still wouldn't work. I have tried another light fitting and this won't work. I have check the 2 x switches we have(one has a loop running into the kitchen extention) and they seem to be ok. Little gadget shows there is power. (red light shows on the 220-300). Same little gadget dosent seem to get a reading from the wiring to the light. All other lights in the house work. Help!!!! What else can I check, was thinking maybe that section of wiring on the house had blown? Is that possible? Easy to change? This is an old house with a old fuse box[/quote]

 

[sparkwright]

Do you mean the whole lighting circuit trips only when you switch on the dining room light?

How many lights are on this particular circuit?

Any outside lights which could be full of water?

Any nails been hammered in the wall lately?

 

[Minidink5]

Nothing trips on the system. Even when we switch the dinning room lightswitch on. Just the light dosent come on. All other lights work ok. It tripped once and now the light won't work. All other lights are working fine. There is 2 outside lights both are under cover and both working ok.

All downstairs lights are on one fuse and all upstairs on another fuse. Have swapped fuses as well but as all other downstairs lights work new that wasn't a problem.

No DIY done either, and the light was on at the time aswell then tripped.

 

[pjcomp]

Check the tightness of the connections in the light fitting, and the others on the same floor. When a light bulb goes (probable cause of the initial trip) it creates a surge of power. When the insulation is stripped from wiring the action of cuting through the insulation can go too far and make a nick in the underlying copper; this creates a weak point - same as a fuse - which can then fail in the event of a power surge. Such a break can occur in the light iftting immediately affected, or in the one upstream of it thus cutting the power feed. Turn off the power to the lighting circuit before poking a screwdriver around in the light fittings.

PJ

 

[Minidink5]

Will check them all tommorrow and update. If it's not that what else could it be?

 

[riveralt]

Will check them all tommorrow and update. If it's not that what else could it be?

Given your description of how the fault played out, I doubt it will be anything else - as pjcomp said there will be a broken conductor normally at or near a terminal block somewhere along the circuit -normally at the ceiling rose.

Your only problem will come if the break occurs in a hidden junction box rather than the ceiling roses or switches - then it is a question removing floorboards to find the offending item.

 

[pjcomp]

Sounds like you've checked the switch, but to cover all the bases double check the conenctions in the switch - when a light stops working all eyes are on the light and the switch gets forgotten, but it'soften a switch problem.

PJ