Lights stopped working

[woolytoon]

Help!

Please.

Main bedroom, landing and bathroom lights have stopped working!! All other lights upstairs are working fine!!

This seems to be unconnected to anything, they just don't work!!

What could have caused this?

My upstairs lights are all on the same fuse and it works fine. I have looked in the loft and can't see anything out of the ordinary!!

All posts much appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

the lighting circuit (generally) runs from one ceiling rose to the next.

Most likely the connections in one of the ceiling fittings have come loose. where the circuit comes in or goes out to the next one. If, in the loft, you can see which route the cable takes, start with the last lamp that is working, and then the first one that isn't.

If you have recently fitted or altered one, it is likely to be the faulty one.

If you have recently been nailing through the ceiliung or in the loft, you might have damaged something. If the cat has been climbing on a lampshade she might have tugged it loose.

Turn off the power, spin the cover off the rose, and look for a loose connection or loose wire.

If nothing is obvious, you will need to do some testing (with the power off so you don't jump back when shocked, fall off the steps and break your neck). Have you got a multimeter?

 

[racket]

you could have lost the live or neutral to the lights that aren't working, most likely cause is vermin chewing through cable in the loft. you need to trace out the wires from each light and find where the break is, tighten all the screws in all the ceiling roses upstairs ,it could just be a loose wire

 

[industryspark]

Im thinking a break in the circuit either on the neutral or live leg.

your upstairs lighting circuit should be a radial so will feed from one light fitting to another, i.e bedroom 1- bedroom 2 - toilet - main bedroom - landing - bathroom or something like.

do you have access to a multimeter to test voltage at each lighting point? if you can follow the circuit in your loft you should be able to figure out pretty easily where the break is.

it could be in the form of a wire just popping out of a terminal in one fitting.

very unlikely that its an actual break in the cable unless they;ve been destirbed in any way?

can you unscrew your fittings to have a look?

please be sure to isolate when unscrewing fittings and be extremely carefull at all times.

 

[fireman22]

are you going to tackle it yourself? if you have a multimeter / neon screwdriver and some ability i guess we all could help you trace it, if not however better to call out one of us electricians

 

[JohnD]

Neon screwdriver!

 

[woolytoon]

Blimey, thanks for quick replies!!

Chuffed with that response.

As soon as the kids are asleep will try and trace the problem.

Have not fitted any new lights, but have been shifting stuff in the loft so am guessing that I must have somehow knocked something (although this has never happened before). My house is only 10 years old and loft has been floored by previous owner.

Fireman22, when it comes to the leccy not sure how much ability I have ??
"Neon screwdriver" mine have black and yellow handles!! (sense of humour - my main ability!!)

 

[woolytoon]

Many thanks to all.

I found one loose wire in a ceiling rose!!

No idea how this came loose!!

As a novice/layperson seems amazing that one wire causes 3 lights to go out!!

This forum is brilliant!!

Wooly