Lighting circuit

[davegilsenan]

Today my kitchen lights stopped working and the outside light aswel. Does this mean there is a break in the lighting circuit? All the fuses are fine and its just those lights that aren't working.
Thanks,
Dave.

 

[Steve]

Where are they in relation to your fusebox / consumer unit? It could be that they are the last on the circuit, which may validate your reasoning. Check that they aren;t supplied by a spur from the ring main in the kitchen - look for never-used fused switches. If not, open up the kitchen light and check the connections. Then try the switch, then try the other lights on the circuit.

 

[davegilsenan]

Theres 2 lighting circuits in the house- upstairs and down stairs. The rest of down stairs is fine and fuse is at other end of house so i presume the kitchen and outside light are at the end. The lights are downlighters and all the cabling is now hidden under a fresly plastered ceiling

 

[Steve]

So the lights are recent? Were they installed by an electrician? Maybe he will come out and look at it FOC - seeing as its his workmanship that has probably caused this.

The junction points should be above or near one of the lights - the lights simply pull down to release, see what you can feel by sticking your arm up there. Power off, of course!

 

[davegilsenan]

I installed the lights about 12 months ago. they are in 2 sets split at the old ceiling rose. the holes for the lights are too small to get my hand through

 

[Steve]

I installed the lights about 12 months ago. they are in 2 sets split at the old ceiling rose. the holes for the lights are too small to get my hand through

do you have a small child?

but seriously, can you get at the joints from above? It is always a good idea when installing downlights, to keep all the junction boxes and joints close to the lights, with plenty of slack on the cables, so they are easily accessible from below (accessibility is required in the regs).

 

[davegilsenan]

There is a junction box before each light which are accessible from below. But i attached the ceiling rose to one of the joists because i though it'd be better if it was secure.

 

[davegilsenan]

Anyone???

 

[Har_vey]

Do you know exactly where the ceiling rose is that you attached to the joist? Can you get to it from above?

Or failing that can you cut a hole in your new plaster and patch it afterwards?

The other thing to check would be the switch of course, if both lights operate from the same 2 gang??