Problem with outside light, no bulbs will light but you can hear it come on..

[jameslpool]

Hi, I live in a new house thats 4 years old since it was built, unfortunatly you coulkd only get them out to lookn at problems for 2 years and i am rubbish with diy / electrics

Basically we have a light outside our door which goes on automatically with a sensor, it recently went off and i have tried about 3 different bulbs in it, none will work, they have been tested in other sockets and light fine.

If you are close to the light you hear a little click when it comes on and you still hear that now if you leave the switch on but the light just won't come on.

I do actually own multimeters but aren't really up on how to use them so don't feel confident prodding in a live circuit lol

The other thing i read was could be corroded connection but now sure.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what i could do?

Thanks

James

 

[terryplumb]

Is the sensor part of the fitting ?You could at least check the wiring inside the lamps terminal box ,after isolating the mains supply. Loose connection possibly. After that testing with your meter would be needed.

 

[conny]

If it is an Edison Screw fitting the bulb may not be seating properly onto the central tab in the fitting but seating correctly in the other lamps you tried.
With the power off try to gently raise the tab at the bottom of the lamp holder. You only need to bend it up by a few mm I had this problem with an outside lamp a few years ago and lifting the tab sorted it.
If it's a bayonet type then, again with the power off, check the connections to the back of the pins.

 

[Alec_t]

Some PIR sensors with an internal triac don't like CFL or LED bulbs. Do you have an incandescent bulb you could try?
On the other hand, if you can hear a click then the sensor almost certainly has a relay instead of a triac; in which case the relay isn't switching correctly.

 

[chivers67]

The Sensor sounds like it's working so power to the Lamp or the lamp holder itself may have become corroded. A few photos might help with the lamp removed? Maybe just take with a phone to look at it in the first instance to see if that's what the problem is?

If it's beyond repair can you replace it Like for Like?