Room light not working
- Thread starter P-29rap
- Start date
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No other connections are necessary.
There are black wires in the switch back box.
I can't tell. There should be three; one of which will go to the light along with the single red from the switch.
They are Neutrals.
It would be a good idea to learn how things work.
Loop at Switch Lighting Circuits
UK lighting circuit wiring details for loop at the switch
flameport.com
As has been said your 'test screwdriver' is useless for testing and should probably go in the bin.
www.screwfix.com
As you can see a multimeter costs very little and will allow you to prove what is actually happening and probably fix it.
LAP DC Digital Multimeter 600V - Screwfix
Order online at Screwfix.com. Multimeter features large digital display with backlit LCD for easy use in dark environments. Data hold function captures and holds the display reading when disconnected. Ideal for testing and solving a variety of household electrical problems safely and accurately...
As you can see a multimeter costs very little and will allow you to prove what is actually happening and probably fix it.
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The black wire should never light the screwdriver so at the moment it all looks to be testing correctly.
Please refit a good light and retest. If the red and black wires makes your tester glow you have a faulty neutral. If only red makes it glow it points to faulty light. Then it is worth linking all 3 reds as mentioned earlier.
Please refit a good light and retest. If the red and black wires makes your tester glow you have a faulty neutral. If only red makes it glow it points to faulty light. Then it is worth linking all 3 reds as mentioned earlier.
Many thanks. I will follow your advice. Apologies for my ignorance but I have one question: the two reds on the top of the switch are constantly live and the bottom red comes on when I switch on. If I link all 3 reds of the rocker switch, will it not be permanently on?
Yes the reason for the test. Is to prove there is nothing wrong with the switch, using a tester such as yours can give unreliable results.
They are useful, I use them a lot but I'm familiar with the shortcomings
The black will remain 'dead' it should be at or close to earth potential. Testing the red, and there appearing to be voltage on it, suggests the fault is local to the ceiling rose, or flex drop, or lampholder.
This is why I said to fit a good light as a high impedance, such as a faulty switch often does give a false reading if there is no load.
Thank you. I changed the flex drop and lampholder and ...it works! I tried again the same lamp, it came on for 5 seconds and went off. Tried it on a different lampholder and it is dead. A new bulb works OK. So, although initially even a new bulb did not work on the defective light, it now works. I assume it always was a defective economy bulb that gave five seconds of light when tested and eventually gave up the spirit. Problem solved!
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