How to find the switch to an external light?

[RiverHalfon]

Hi

We moved into our house over a year ago. The front door has an external light. It does not have a sensor, and is not live (I checked with an electrical (tester) screwdriver). We cannot find the switch to it anywhere in the house. The wiring was done probably around 30 years ago.

Is there any way to look for this short of breaking the wall and seeing where the wires lead to?

Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I checked with an electrical (tester) screwdriver

Don't use those - unreliable and unsafe.

We cannot find the switch to it anywhere in the house

If, after a year, you've not found one, and not found a switch which does nothing, then there probably isn't one. No switched FCUs anywhere which appear do do nothing?

Is there any way to look for this short of breaking the wall and seeing where the wires lead to?

You could try looking in floor/ceiling voids nearby to see if you can spot the cable.

 

[TheVictorian]

You cold lift a floorboard in the room directly above and see if you can trace the wire?

 

[flyingsparks]

There's a good chance it's in the back of a switch box not connected. Perhaps the hallway light switch? With power off carefully unscrew the switch and look inside.

 

[sparkwright]

Have a look for a switched or unswitched fused spur unit.

If you do find one, check the fuse in it, and turn on any switches. You never know...

 

[sparkwright]

Does the light look old? Maybe it was disconnected and never got reinstated.

Send some pictures if you can,