water in bathroom ceiling light problem

suered

Dear All
Had a circuit fuse trip last night - problem seems to be the bathroom ceiling light, which is one of those flush to the ceiling jobbies. Not being able to reach it myself, very nice neighbour got an impromptu shower when he released the glass dome bit :eek:

We removed bulb, dried it out with paper towels and then a hairdryer, put new bulb in, turned on - and it promptly tripped the circuit again.

Currently the fitment is hanging down from the ceiling in the hope that whatever residual moisture is in there will dry out over a couple of days and then we will try again.

But - where did the water come from? The ceiling itself is dry - is it possible that over time condensation gets into the fitting? Should there be some special kind of sealing going on? The bulb was last changed about four years ago.

If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, would be most grateful.

thanks
suered

saffiedale_2

suered wrote: »

Dear All
Had a circuit fuse trip last night - problem seems to be the bathroom ceiling light, which is one of those flush to the ceiling jobbies. Not being able to reach it myself, very nice neighbour got an impromptu shower when he released the glass dome bit :eek:

We removed bulb, dried it out with paper towels and then a hairdryer, put new bulb in, turned on - and it promptly tripped the circuit again.

Currently the fitment is hanging down from the ceiling in the hope that whatever residual moisture is in there will dry out over a couple of days and then we will try again.

But - where did the water come from? The ceiling itself is dry - is it possible that over time condensation gets into the fitting? Should there be some special kind of sealing going on? The bulb was last changed about four years ago.

If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, would be most grateful.

thanks
suered

had the same problem a few years back, was coming from the roof. nearest hole being the light... sorry. check up there. its been bad weather.:rolleyes:

suered

Lord, I hope not - I'm ground floor flat with 5 floors above me and if it's a leak from a flat upstairs it's a nightmare to work out which one as all the flat boundaries overlap each other floor by floor!

The weird thing is that the bathroom ceiling itself is absolutely dry - if it was a leak, wouldn't the ceiling be wet as well? Plus this happened yesterday evening - pretty sure it wasn't raining then and it (the light) had been fine in the morning...........

back2square1

I have recently had ceiling spots put in my ensuite, kitchen, bathroom and hallway. I had to have spot lights that were specifically made for rooms where condensation can occur. Also you must have certified electrician to install them.

Because your bathroom is where your leak is appearing from the ceiling spotlight I would recommend that you seek the advice of an electrican. I wouldn't use the light in there either, water and electricity aaagggh!! :eek:

suered

:eek: indeed on the water and electrics front. I can't use the light even if I was so brave/stupid as to try as the circuit trips within a nano-second. Unfortunately it takes out ALL my ceiling lights (flat, not house) so have had to dot lamps all over the place. Will be canvassing the neighbours tonight to try and find out where it's coming from, but with 5 floors above me and all flats overlapping plus the path of least resistance to factor in, it's going to be a nightmare.

Will be calling an electrician in either way.

suered

UPDATE:
It is oh so definitely not condensation though - got home last night - nice dry floor, thinking, oh good, leave it another day and try it again.

10pm - half a bucket full of water gushes through the ceiling. And then stops.

So, two evenings, two separate and very short-lived downpours. No luck identifying culprit as yet. Door knocking will continue tonight.

Question: is it ok to continue to use the shower/bath? I have bought a couple of those LED battery operated light thingies (it's an internal bathroom with no natural light). Originally I was not going to use it, hoping that everything would dry out, but until I identify the source, running the shower isn't going to make things any worse, is it?

Thanks again

hewhoisnotintheknow

it sounds daft but place some kitchen roll inside the hole and see if it gets wet

you can do detective work to work out how quickly etc to work out whats causing it

BobProperty

suered wrote: »

UPDATE:
It is oh so definitely not condensation though - got home last night - nice dry floor, thinking, oh good, leave it another day and try it again.

10pm - half a bucket full of water gushes through the ceiling. And then stops....

This sounds like a leak on someone's waste pipework. Check who did what with something that uses water, at or just before the time it happened. I'll guess at washing machine or bath.

ricktor

I have the same problem with my pendant lights circuit and I think the moist coming from the ceiling is the main cause of it.

Zazen999

Hi
Is the water that came thorough clear and clean; or soapy/smelly?

suered

Mine was clear and clean - and nothing has happened since those 2 evenings, although still haven't managed to track down the cause (or the people aren't saying for fear of insurance claims). Will probably put back together and see what happens sometime this week.