Light won't go off

breadandjam

We had a new light fitting installed about 6 months ago in our kitchen and it has been fine. Last night though when I switched off the light it stayed on. This morning I replaced the switch but the light is still on. What could the problem be?

M cebee

you have me stumped anyway:D

nobody3

breadandjam wrote: »

We had a new light fitting installed about 6 months ago in our kitchen and it has been fine. Last night though when I switched off the light it stayed on. This morning I replaced the switch but the light is still on. What could the problem be?

Sounds like a fault in the circuit(s). If the contacts in the old switch are burnt, or stuck in the on position there could be a short in the wiring to, or the light fitting itself.

Time to bring in an expert.

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

you have me stumped anyway:D

What??? It must be unfixable so:D

Bruthal

breadandjam wrote: »

We had a new light fitting installed about 6 months ago in our kitchen and it has been fine. Last night though when I switched off the light it stayed on. This morning I replaced the switch but the light is still on. What could the problem be?

Did you replace the switch yourself?

Is it possible you turned off the power at the MCB board, and connected the new switch after removing the old faulty one, and mixed up the wires of the switch? How many wires were in the switch?

Is there only one switch for the lights, or can they be switched on from 2 seperate places?

hohojojo

you more than likely have a neutral fault has any other light or stuff been touched in the house recently what you need to do is take the light down and test to seeis the feed coming in on the neutral

oh and when you were changing the switch did the light go off ?

Bruthal

hohojojo wrote: »

you more than likely have a neutral fault has any other light or stuff been touched in the house recently what you need to do is take the light down and test to seeis the feed coming in on the neutral

oh and when you were changing the switch did the light go off ?

I would assume they turned off the power when changing the switch. Its fairly easy to connect switch feed to switch wire when replacing a faulty switch, or 2 strappers together if replacing a 2 way switch etc, so the simple things to check first i would of thought before taking down lights etc. And since the OP has replaced a switch, is that not the best place to first look?

Turning off the power and removing the switch would be the first check, and with wires safely seperated, turn power back on, see is light now off.

breadandjam

nobody3 wrote: »

Sounds like a fault in the circuit(s). If the contacts in the old switch are burnt, or stuck in the on position there could be a short in the wiring to, or the light fitting itself.

No sign of any burning on the contacts in the old switch.

Did you replace the switch yourself?

Is it possible you turned off the power at the MCB board, and connected the new switch after removing the old faulty one, and mixed up the wires of the switch? How many wires were in the switch?

Is there only one switch for the lights, or can they be switched on from 2 seperate places?

I replaced it wire for wire as I went along so no mistakes, there's only one switch for the kitchen lights.

you more than likely have a neutral fault has any other light or stuff been touched in the house recently what you need to do is take the light down and test to see is the feed coming in on the neutral

oh and when you were changing the switch did the light go off ?

Well I had all the lights off at the trip switch so yeah - the light was off. Nothing else electrical has been touched. I wouldn't know how to test the feed coming on in neutral.
Removed switch and light stays off

Time to get someone in I think. Just wanted to see if it was something simple I could do myself. Thanks for the advice except for M cebee you were no help at all.

M cebee

that's what i'm here for

Bruthal

breadandjam wrote: »

Removed switch and light stays off

You removed the switch, and light is now off? with power back on? If you have a phase tester then it will be easy enough to work out whats what.

Thanks for the advice except for M cebee you were no help at all.

Well it is more help than suggesting neutrals when a switch has just been replaced on the affected light. Looking at the last changed item is the first thing to do. After that then look at other possibilities.

Bruthal

Anyway, if you have removed the switch, and turned the power back on, and the light is off, then it is extremely likely you have indeed connected the switch feed into the switch wire, assuming there were at least 3 wires at the switch? If this is the case, other lights would not of worked after you fitted the new switch.

Were there 3 wires in the switch?

It is also possible the wires insulation are damaged and shorting at the switch, either at unearthed metal box or conduit etc, or each other, and removing the switch has now cleared that as well. This would mean the original switch may have been ok.

If it is wires shorting as above, this can bring the light on even if the switch is correctly wired, and the switch could be ok.

All simple checks for a qualified person.

breadandjam

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49183020@N08/5780787478/

Thats the original switch with the wires drawn on rather than take the swith off the wall again- I can't see how I could have mixed them up as I switched them as I went along

Bruthal

breadandjam wrote: »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49183020@N08/5780787478/

Thats the original switch with the wires drawn on rather than take the swith off the wall again- I can't see how I could have mixed them up as I switched them as I went along

So the switch is back up, and light is again stuck on?

Diggerdunne

Turn off the power. take the switch off the wall and seperate the cables that are in the same terminal. Turn back on the power and see if the light goes off. Just to elimenate the possiblity that u put them back into the wrong terminal.If the light goes off,Turn off the power, then put one of the cables into a connector and the other into the terminal and then turn back on the power and see if it works. Basically you need to see if you have the switch wire ie the cable going to the light mixed up with the feed and loop feed...

Bruthal

Diggerdunne wrote: »

Turn off the power. take the switch off the wall and seperate the cables that are in the same terminal. Turn back on the power and see if the light goes off. Just to elimenate the possiblity that u put them back into the wrong terminal.If the light goes off,Turn off the power, then put one of the cables into a connector and the other into the terminal and then turn back on the power and see if it works. Basically you need to see if you have the switch wire ie the cable going to the light mixed up with the feed and loop feed...

An easier way to confirm mix up is switch on all lights downstairs, in every room, and see they are all working. If they are not all on, switch kitchen switch and see do the other rooms now come on.


If the other room lights do all come on, then switch the kitchen switch, now check and see if all other lights are still on. If the feed is swapped with the loop feed in the affected switch, other lights will now go off, or on, depending on whether kitchen switch is in the on or off position.

Bruthal

If you can confirm some other lights downstairs are off, then turn power off, and get a marker or pen, and see can you mark the 3 wires 1,2,3.

Even little marks like a little line or something on each, 1 mark on one cable, 2 marks on next, 3 marks on last one. And then tell us which 2 are in the same terminal together at present. Make sure power off.

A wipe of a cloth first might help to clean them if needed before marking.

breadandjam

robbie7730 wrote: »

An easier way to confirm mix up is switch on all lights downstairs, in every room, and see they are all working. If they are not all on, switch kitchen switch and see do the other rooms now come on.


If the other room lights do all come on, then switch the kitchen switch, now check and see if all other lights are still on. If the feed is swapped with the loop feed in the affected switch, other lights will now go off, or on, depending on whether kitchen switch is in the on or off position.

Did that- no effect on other lights. Turned off at trip switch as I'm off to work now- they can get by without it at home

thanks for the suggestions though.

Bruthal

breadandjam wrote: »

Did that- no effect on other lights. Turned off at trip switch as I'm off to work now- they can get by without it at home

thanks for the suggestions though.

maybe there is only 1 more light looped from the kitchen switch, like an outside light or understairs etc that you did`t check, but anyway..

Ok if it is still a mix up, the following will fix it.

Next to do with power off is, remove kitchen switch, and remove one of the 2 wires that are in together and clearly mark it with pen or marker or a bit of tape so you dont lose track of it, any sort of mark on it, and put it in with the other wire that was on its own, and tighten connection of the other wire thats now on its own, power back on and see what happens.

Kitchen light will now go on and off if it was a mix up, but its not certain we have all 3 wires correct yet, you need to check all other lights in the house are now working and switching on and off with their own switches, including any outside ones, with the kitchen light switched off.

If they all do, then its now correct, but if any others do not now work with the kitchen light switched off, you just need to power off again and put the wire you marked into L1, and the other 2 together into common, and that would sort it.

If none of that works then its another problem, such as 2 of the wires shorting at the switch, i seen that happen before as well.

Mc cebee`s advice is usually to get an electrician for such matters, and its hard to argue with that.