Light switch problem

[TediousPhoenix]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice to a woman living on her own with limited electrical knowledge...

The light bulb in the bedroom blew when it was switched on. It didn't come as a shock to see the switch in the fuse box was tripped for the lights in the flat.

But the mechanical switch on the wall will not flip back into the 'off' position. Has the switch broken meaning a new wall switch is required?

I switched all electricity off to the flat to take the switch apart but I can't get any further because I don't have a small standard screwdriver (but I have a small philips for some reason!).

I don't know whether it's a simple fix or if I should call me landlord.

Any advice would be greatly received.

 

[breezer]

in theory its change the switch and lamp and take it from there, but as you are renting why not call the landlord?

 

[TediousPhoenix]

The problem with calling my landlord is that he's recently moved to Cambridge (from Essex) so I've decided to only call him if it's absolutely necessary.

But since writing the first post and this one, I found a screwdriver head that was just about small enough from my PC toolkit to take the wires away from the mechanism. And guess what... as soon as the live wire was removed the switch worked!

All I have to do now is to get the correct light bulb. I thought I needed a bayonet cap light bulb. What I didn't know was that I needed a three-pronged one, not two. I really am learning something new each day!

I 'borrowed' a light from my hall and it worked. I'm not sure what the problem was but I'm always fond of the take-it-apart-and-put-it-back-together method.

Thanks for the quick response, by the way.

 

[securespark]

When lamps fail, they often trip the fuse/ CB because there is a large srge when the filament breaks. Some lamps are internally fused to prevent the main fuse from failing, but a lot of cheaper ones are not. Try buying Osram or another good brand to reduce this ocurrence.

It's worth replacing the switch, even if it has started working again. But do turn the power off first.....