Bright Spark needed!!!

MrG · Jan 24, 2011

Hi all,

I have a small problem at home and need some advice please (this is an electrical problem!).

My bedroom, landing and bathroom lights do not work. However, two other bedrooms do work.

All upstairs lights run back to the one fuse in the fuse box. I have checked the wires for each light to see if there are any loose ones and have found nothing untoward.

This problem gradually came on as the lights would work ok then go off after about an hour or two use. Then in the middle of the night they would go back on again.

Now they just dont work at all.

Any ideas on a solution or what the problem may be would be welcome as using the bathroom by torchlight aint much fun anymore!

Thanks.

Alex

Sparky Ninja · Jan 24, 2011

Sounds like a loose connection that may have finally burnt out. It could be a connection at a light that is normally working fine or a connection at a joint of some kind.

If you cannot find it with the methods you have chosen you should call out an electrician. It shouldn't take an hour to diagnose the fault.

rich67577 · Jan 24, 2011

sounds like somethink lose some were to me probley best get a spark in to sort it out fella should only take and hour or so to sort it out

simpson93 · Jan 24, 2011

my advice would be to get a qualified electrician to fix it.
some terminals may have came loose, you may have got some dirt buidup around a conducter causing it to work sometimes but not always.
probably wont cost that much to fix.

MrG · Jan 24, 2011

Thanks guys. Guessed that was my next move. Hoped there may be something simple I had not thought of.

Phil · Jan 24, 2011

pop your location on and one of the guys/girls on here i`m sure would be happy to give you a price for it

High Tower · Jan 24, 2011

Ok, the upstairs loop is no longer continuous, ie has a break. Your house, on it's lighting circuit has a live feed that goes in and out of each room like a chain, hence loop. The break will be between the last room that works and the first that doesn't.

I'm afraid I have to concur with the boys, call a spark!! Or even post your location one of the lads on here might be close to you.

It takes the correct test equipment and experience to find the fault, you could spend hours looking where as any decent spark should find it within about a hour.

Geordie Spark · Jan 25, 2011

I went to a house recently to fix a fault just like this - except that the fault was intermittent.

The householder "fixed" it by wiring a bit of flex to the first light that wasn't working and plugged the other end into a socket on the landing.

While it made the lights work, he hadn't realised that whenever the plug was removed from the socket the pins of the plug had a good chance of being live - and he had a 3 year old toddler crawling about on that landing!!

He had also fitted the plug with a 13 Amp fuse ..............

I found the fault in a lighting junction box in the loft.

malcolmsanford · Jan 25, 2011

Geordie Spark said:
I went to a house recently to fix a fault just like this - except that the fault was intermittent.

The householder "fixed" it by wiring a bit of flex to the first light that wasn't working and plugged the other end into a socket on the landing.

While it made the lights work, he hadn't realised that whenever the plug was removed from the socket the pins of the plug had a good chance of being live - and he had a 3 year old toddler crawling about on that landing!!

He had also fitted the plug with a 13 Amp fuse ..............

I found the fault in a lighting junction box in the loft.

They do say necessity is the mother of invention

But hope the OP looks as your reply and see that his problem may be the same. If he checked the cables at the fittings and switches and they are ok, it may just pay him to go up into the loft and see if there are any JB or connectors up there.

I would though advise if the OP does find a "mess" up there to call an electrician to help him out.

Mr Mike · Jan 25, 2011

MrG said:
Hi all,

I have a small problem at home and need some advice please (this is an electrical problem!).

My bedroom, landing and bathroom lights do not work. However, two other bedrooms do work.

All upstairs lights run back to the one fuse in the fuse box. I have checked the wires for each light to see if there are any loose ones and have found nothing untoward.

This problem gradually came on as the lights would work ok then go off after about an hour or two use. Then in the middle of the night they would go back on again.

Now they just dont work at all.

Any ideas on a solution or what the problem may be would be welcome as using the bathroom by torchlight aint much fun anymore!

Thanks.

Alex

Alex,
I agree with the previous.
Not meaning to be rude it may turn out to be a small hungry roedent or a squirell taking a meal- on the cable- they like it.
The spark will find this though, not major I think.
Regards
Mike.