Ghost keeps turning light off

[chatlow]

Really weird one.. 3 story town house and upstairs light will go out at least once a month. Fuse for the entire upstairs hasn't blown at all - however - when the fuse is briefly remove then reinstalled (a second later), the light works again.

What might cause this?

 

[stillp]

Loose connection somewhere in the upstairs lighting circuit, or on the fuse.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Yes as above.
If all the lights on this circuit go out, then first places to look are for a bad contact of the fuse, either loose or damaged, live or neutral conductor at the board or at the first light/junction/joint on circuit.

 

[bernardgreen]

Is it a simple lamp controlled by a simple switch ? Or is it some a bit more complex such as a switch that operates the lamp by wireless ?

 

[bernardgreen]

One reason could be there is a lamp "driver" or "transformer" that is overheating and shutting down ( lamp goes out ) and remains latched in shut down until power is removed long enough for the latch circuit to un-latch.

 

[chatlow]

thanks. It's only this landing light that goes out, all other upstairs are fine. And the light is part of the main circuit, controlled by two switches - one on that floor, the other a floor below.

 

[ericmark]

It is possible that the two way switching is RF i.e. no wires between the switches and there could be a battery in the remote switch which is near end of life.

 

[deadshort]

Really weird one.. 3 story town house and upstairs light will go out at least once a month. Fuse for the entire upstairs hasn't blown at all - however - when the fuse is briefly remove then reinstalled (a second later), the light works again.

What might cause this?

Hi, sounds like a loose connection to me. Have you been altering or working above the light? I would check the connections at the ceiling rose and the lamp holder.

Regards,

DS

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

thanks. It's only this landing light that goes out, all other upstairs are fine. And the light is part of the main circuit, controlled by two switches - one on that floor, the other a floor below.

I would be looking for a loose or damaged connection then! It could be when the lights are turned on from cold, they work fine. But once heat is generated in the conductors, it maybe enough for the cable to gap from it's terminal.
Look at the light fitting first, then switches, it could be just a matter of tightening the terminals up. Isolate circuit first and prove the circuits is dead prior to any meddling!