Foxed...

[ed-ectrician]

I put in a light fitting for someone yesterday and i am a bit stuck as to why it is not working! I tested up at the fitting across N and L and L and CPC and got 230v, I tested across N and CPC and got 0v. Polarity seems correct. When I put it in I tested across the L and N terminals where the light screws in and got 230v too but when the lamp goes in there is no light. No dimmer - it's on a 2 way normal on/off switching system. We were using a GLS lightbulb and it said on the fitting you needed an energy saver (CFL?) - she is going to go and get a energy saver bulb and see if it works. Any other ideas? I thought if you put 230v across any bulb it should work right?! Esp a GLS one which is the least 'complicated' of all lamps! The fitting said maximum 40w and we were trying with a 40w lamp by the way. Anyone got any ideas. Am I being really really stooopid and missing something?

 

[dagrat]

Sounds daft but did you check whether the lamp you used was working? Ie tried it in another fitting?

 

[ed-ectrician]

Yes lamp worked and tried about 3 different lamps

 

[dagrat]

Have you tried testing at the lamp holder itself?

 

[ed-ectrician]

Yeah that's what i'm saying i got 230 across the terminals on the lamp holder itself. It's really odd. Voltmeter is working fine!

 

[gnselectricals]

Recheck the connections mate sounds like a loose neutral to me dropping out under load

 

[Brightspark2]

Or a faulty switch giving you false readings...

Try shorting the switches out...

Sent from my Xperia S using next doors WIFI

 

[Rockingit]

Could also be a duff bayonet - the pins holder (or screw if it's ES) might be too long and so the pins don't touch the lamp.

 

[polo1]

Is it one of these....?

 

[telectrix]

wtf is that, polo.looks like a septic tank.

 

[polo1]

:rofl: And here was me thinking that a man of your experience....... a crappy picture of an MK Low energy lamp pendant (or it may indeed be a septic tank lol)

 

[D80]

That pile of poo looks very like a PL Pendant holder. Building Control in Northern Ireland insist on 1 in 4 pendants at least having them. They usually get took out after Building Control have signed off the job

 

[jumpin jax]

When you say you tested with a voltmeter, was it a low impedance one? Try putting the lamp in and test at the incoming wires, it could be a loose terminal or faulty switch not making a good contact under load

 

[ed-ectrician]

Client just e-mailed me to say it just started working. Reckon it's loose neutral in the fitting pendant, crap screw in pendant or switch faulty. If the switch was faulty why would i get 230 across switched live and N at the lamp (not 3 plate it's junction box with just N and switched live coming out at the fitting. Blue and brown too so cant be that old! Not to assume if it's new it's OK of course. Polo1 it's not one of your septic tanks mate! Fugly looking thing! I used a gs38 voltmeter. That would be low resistance wouldnt it surely? Another thing. When switch was off still got 36v across N and switched live. Faulty switch probably thinking about it. As i said, not a dimmer.

 

[Richard Burns]

I had a similar thing where I was eventually testing a pendant at the lamp holder and still got 230V but the lamp didn't work once in place and it turned out I had a loose neutral that when I was pushing into the lamp holder with the tester the neutral connected, once the lamp was hanging down, it disconnected, got me for a while.

Another one was when I was rewiring a B22 wall lamp fitting all was fine with the wiring but the lamp didn't work and I found that the holder was worn and I had without looking inserted the lamp holder 90 degrees out of position (which should not be possible) and so the lamp pins were not making contact, oops.