help required

[abcde]

Hi all - I am after a bit of advice for basics to check before I waste my money and an electricians time on a call out!

In my bathroom I have 4 spotlights and an extractor fan all on the same 13A fuse circuit. When I pulled the switch this morning, the lights flickered for a few seconds then turned off. I re-tried and the same thing happened. Since then they have not worked at all.

Given that all the lights flickered and none of them work I guessed it must be a faultly connection somewhere, possibly in the light switch / fused switch. I have checked these and can't see anything obviously wrong; I have also checked the switch for the extractor fan.

Does anyone have any more ideas for simple checks to do before calling out an elecrician. I know there's no substiute for a qualified spark but don't mind getting my hands dirty and am doing this with the greatest caution - and if there is something obvious I have missed I don't want to waste the precious pennies.

All advice greatly appreciated.

 

[bugsy]

Continuity test on Line and Neutral, chack foe loose connections, call electrician get out the readies.
If you have tried the obvious get profesional help.

 

[sjm]

The 13 amp fuse should be 3 amps I would think. Is the fan working? Are the lights mains voltage or low voltage?

 

[accordfire]

Hi all - I am after a bit of advice for basics to check before I waste my money and an electricians time on a call out!

In my bathroom I have 4 spotlights and an extractor fan all on the same 13A fuse circuit. When I pulled the switch this morning, the lights flickered for a few seconds then turned off. I re-tried and the same thing happened. Since then they have not worked at all.

Given that all the lights flickered and none of them work I guessed it must be a faultly connection somewhere, possibly in the light switch / fused switch. I have checked these and can't see anything obviously wrong; I have also checked the switch for the extractor fan.

Does anyone have any more ideas for simple checks to do before calling out an elecrician. I know there's no substiute for a qualified spark but don't mind getting my hands dirty and am doing this with the greatest caution - and if there is something obvious I have missed I don't want to waste the precious pennies.

All advice greatly appreciated.

Yup - best advice: DON'T TOUCH IT.

Several reasons - bathroom is a special location. Part P applies, so anything done (by the sounds of it) is likely to be notifable work.

Bathroom lighting on a 13A fuse??? Presumably by switch you mean a pull cord, and not a plate switch next to or on the spur with the fuse in it????

Given that all the lights flickered and then haven't worked since, it sounds like they're LV downlights, and a transformer has probably blown.

Seriously, you won't be wasting your money, or an electrician's time.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Isolate the circuit. Undo and redo all connections making sure you have tightened down onto the conductor and not its insulation. If this dont work, try a new switch. If this dont fix it, then its out with the yellow pages mate.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[bugsy]

Jokes apart you have done what you can , as mentioned bathrooms are deemed special locations and as your not part P registered you should not be playing with it.

 

[BlueToBits]

It seems you have checked all the obvious things. I agree It sounds like a loose connection. It depends on how confident you feel about progressing it further. Running the lights from a fused switch suggests that it is not on the general lighting circuit and may be a modification or extension from an older circuit (fitting a 5 amp fuse may be prudent) or a 17th edition upgrade from an RCD protected socket circuit or possibly an old water heater and the fault could be upstream of the connection unit. It is probably a simple thing to correct, the clever bit is eliminating the unlikely and identifing the possible causes. A bread and butter job for an electrician.

 

[abcde]

Thanks for all the quick replies - very much appreciated.

To confirm a few of the questions asked it is a new build house (not an upgraded circuit) and the fuse is 13 amp (the en-suite is the same so doesn't look like an over-sight?). The wall plate with this fuse in it is outside the bathroom and ultimately controls the both the lights and fan, there is also a seperate plate switch for the fan (outside bathroom) and a pull cord for the lights inside the bathroom. Oh, and the fan doesn't work either.

Given that it is a new build I think I will try a new pull-cord tomorrow AM as that is simple enough (all light connections in an awkward area of loft so isolating and re-doing each connection would be a task in itself) and then call the developer and see if I can get their spark out FOC as it is less than a year old.

Thanks also to those with the 'call a professional' advice, its quite refreshing to hear.

Oh, and apologies for the lack of technical jargon!

 

[Phil]

if it`s less than a year old mate i wouldn`t even bother touching it mate. just get the spark out. some may take exception to someone else touching there job mate and then being called back out.

 

[Phil]

no need to apologise for the tech language mate

 

[WayneL]

Thanks for all the quick replies - very much appreciated.

To confirm a few of the questions asked it is a new build house (not an upgraded circuit) and the fuse is 13 amp (the en-suite is the same so doesn't look like an over-sight?). The wall plate with this fuse in it is outside the bathroom and ultimately controls the both the lights and fan, there is also a seperate plate switch for the fan (outside bathroom) and a pull cord for the lights inside the bathroom. Oh, and the fan doesn't work either.

So, simple as it may seem - Have you checked the fuse???

 

[AlanWirral]

Sounds like a funny way of wiring...i still have lots to learn/see