Downstairs light partially gone Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[testab]

Hi

I have a separate circuit for the downstairs lights. This supplies the lights to 6 places in the house (garage, toilet, kitchen, living room, dining room and hall), , 2 of them are working fine (garage, toilet) but 4 have gone. I have checked the fuse and it is fine. Is it possible that one of the wires in one of the rooms that stopped working is no longer attached to the ceiling rose? I thought that if that was the case, I would lose all the 6 downstairs lights, not just 4.

How do I also identify the next room in the wiring connection that follows the 2 that are working?

Thanks for your help.

[kbrownie]

Hi testab, to identify the direction of this circiut you will need a test meter that can test for continuity.
First thing i'd do is look for loose connection in the ceiling roses as you have mentioned because they can effect the next lights on the circiut. As the fuse/mcbs have not broken this is the likely fault or by some fluke all you lamps have blown at the same time.
The logical step would be to assume garage and toilet are first two lights on the circuit, but the fault could still be at this points so check there for loose connections first, then the nearest lighting point after that and so on.
KB

[sparx]

Hi, when called to such problems I start by asking if any work been done anywhere, usually told no until fault located then as if by magic comes "oh yes! didn't see how that would cause it!" so......
OK next step is to imagine you were installing a cable from fuse board to each light in turn, which way would you go, lets say fuse bd in garage,
route garage, hall, toilet....etc
two places link could be lost, either last working light eg hall or next non-working light eg toilet.
No easy way to know where to look, gut instinct helps but unless you have extensive/expensive tracing equipment it's a case of checking each fitting in turn for loose connection in Live & neutral terminals with power off to circuit.
OR dare I suggest call on services of a good locally recommended leckie,
regards SPARX

[testab]

Hi

Thanks for the responses. After 24 hours, all lights came back without any intervention. I am still suspecting a loose connection somewhere. Next time the fault occurs, I will follow the advice given in this forum by checking the possible 'last working', 'first non-working' light based on intuition.

Thanks for your help.

[kbrownie]

I'm suspecting a loose connection, i'd check it now and get it sorted out, don't leave it! Could be a lot more danerous next time! Better safe than sorry!
KB