Light/Electrical Problem - help/advice pls!

Goodadvice75

Hi,

Very weird thing happened this morning.

Went to switch on light in lounge and it came on but then immediately went off. Repeated this and same thing happened again and again. The bulbs come on for a split second and then off again straight away.

Have lived here for years and never had a problem with this light before. The light fitting was here when we moved in and we haven't changed or adapted it and it's worked fine until this morning.

The light fitting has three normal candle bulbs in it and all three flick on for a second and then off again.

Have switched on all the other light switches (upstairs and downstairs) and all are working fine.

At the time of putting the light on this morning the only other light/power usage was the light in the kitchen, the fridge and the radio so it can't be any sort of overload, but even switched off radio and other light and it's still happening.

Please does anyone know what could be causing this or how we could troubleshoot it?

Huge thanks in advance.

ormus

poss a a faulty contact or wire somewhere. as it heats up it moves and then breaks the circuit.
leave it to cool down and it works again.

most likely inside the light fitting.

Goodadvice75

Hi Ormus,

Thanks for your reply. Is this a "wear and tear" thing then, as couldn't understand why it has never happened before and has been working fine for several years.

This morning the light had not been on at all - not at all yesterday in fact. Just went to switch it on first thing this morning and it did this instantly - i.e. came on for one second and then immediately off (so it hadn't had a chance to warm/heat up).

What are we looking for in the fitting if we take it down? Or would some burning/mark etc., be apparent in the wires from the ceiling itself or inside the light fitting? Thx again.

searchlight123

try the switch. could be just a faulty contact within the switch. worth wiring up another switch from elsewhere in the house to see if this cures it without the hassle of removing the light fitting from the ceiling.

fluffpot

I'd go for the switch first -easier to check at least. It may be that as you press it, it makes contact and the light comes on but then when you take your finger off it the contact is lost and light goes out.

Turn power off (all of it if you are not sure) and open up the switch to check for a loose connection. It could also be that the switch is broken

good luck

Myser

I would suggest removing all the bulbs in the fitting first and trying the switch again. Then, if the breaker does not trip, replace each bulb one by one.

There may be one on the brink of the filament breaking.

Do you have to reset the mini circuit-breaker (B6A) or RCD (30mA with test button)?

brutus1983

fualt does seem to be the switch to me switch off the power to the whole house to be sure that its isolated then open up the switch ensure all connections are tight a quick pull on the wires will deem if its loose or not 2nd look and see if theres any sign of burning
if all seems fine then replace the switch could possibly be just the switch contacts are wearing out

Goodadvice75

Hi everyone,

Just a quick thanks for the replies. It will definitely be easier to check the switch before clambering up to the fitting itself! Looks like a cheap switch (metal kind but doesn't look like a quality one). Will investigate that asap this week and fingers crossed that will be the source of the problem!

Really appreciate all the advice, thank you.

ormus

aye check out the switch too. i keep forgetting about all the chinese rubbish electrical hardware about now.

bobthedambuilder

I've just had exactly this problem in my bathroom, and after a quick look at the bulbs and fittings, I homed in on the switch (one of those pull types). After switching off the power at the mains, I took off the cover and looked into the works, and it was clear that the contacts were pretty well shot - they take a beating when the switch operates and there's a mini spark as the contacts approach and touch each other. A quick trip to the local store and £3.50 later, I replaced the switch and all is sorted.

Myser

It's best to replace with a good quality pull-cord switch brand such as MK. There are many cheap brands around which don't last as long!