stair lights only half working Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[danny001]

hi,
i have a town house where i have a tall stairwell and it has 2 lights on each floor with a switch on each floor to turn them off/on

one morning i turned the lights on downstairs and only the first floor came on,
the lamps are fine as i changed them,
i read it may be a loose conection on a wire need a bit more info where to look if anybody can help thanks

[kbrownie]

Hi danny001.
If your looking for a loose connection, which sounds the most likely fault.
You need to inspect at all points where the cables are terminated. So switches and light fitting/ceiling roses.
Remember be safe and safely isolate the circuit you are working on before you start.
Good Luck
KB

[danny001]

hi,
thanks for the reply :D
i found that a light which is in the very top ceiling on the top floor has a battery back up, and a led which is not on,

i went round and did as many screws i could find in the ceiling and switches and then found that in the top light mentioned above with the battery pack is getting power to the unit, but when you turn on the switch the light still stays off
so i know iam getting power to the units ( lights ) but nothing happens when the switch is turned on
could this be still a loose conection i have not found or someone mention a break in the neutral in a switch somewhere

the house is old and was used as a business before i moved in so i think this is why the light at the yop has a battery back up

anymore help would be great thanks :D

[ericmark]

I wonder how you know you have power to the units? I will guess a neon screw driver because you say the LED is not on. I also guess if you switch off the power the light will not come on. Which would all point to a neutral wire like you say. Since the neutral does not go to the switches you are looking at the lights, and most likely either the last one that is working or first one that is not working, unlikely to be in the cable it’s self most likely at the lamp. If you are using a neon screw driver if you test neutrals with lights on these will also show as live on the faulty lights if it is a neutral fault. Now all I have to do is wait and see if I can become an arm chair detective!

[danny001]

hi,
thanks all for your help it has saved me a world of problems, it looked like a loose wire in the last working light,i now have all the lights working except the one with the battery pack ( emergency )

i would like this on to come on and off when i turn the switch on and off,
also to work if my power goes again as the area is dark,
can this light do this or will it just have to stay on all the time or only come on when power is lost

i have read none maintained only come on when power fails and maintained stay on, so which can be turned on and off

any help thanks

[ericmark]

There are three types Sustained stays on all the time. Non-Maintained comes on only with power cut. Maintained goes on and off with switch and when power fails. At between £34 to over £200 they are not cheap. And the non-maintained are cheaper than maintained because they need to be low energy nearly alway florescent. Prices from CEF cat. There is also a Combined not really sure what that does.

[danny001]

hi,
thanks to all, now all lights work,
loose conection in a light
thanks again