electrical help! light fixture doesn't work--tester says it does!

- S
- Sarah
  
  Contact options for registered users
posted
20 years ago

Wed, Jan 14, 2004 10:43 PM

I have a light fixture in a closet that just stopped working. Replaced all 3 bulbs (have also tested the 'old' ones, and they all still worked anyway). Have tested each of the bulb 'sockets' with one of those power testers, and all 3 'sockets' show that the light fixture is getting electricity, but when I put bulbs in, they don't light. I know the bulbs work, I tried them in a lamp. If you turn the light switch on and off, nothing happens, but the power tester thing will light up/make noise when the switch is in the on position when each of the sockets are being tested. Make sense to anyone?!?!?! Help I can't see anything in my daughters closet! Thanks!! Sarah

- T
- Tony Hwang
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
20 years ago

Wed, Jan 14, 2004 10:52 PM

- J
- James Nipper
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
20 years ago

Thu, Jan 15, 2004 12:12 AM

Sometimes (after turning OFF the circuit breaker to the light in question), I have to take a small knife or other sharp object, and "scratch clean" the center tab contact, so that it is shiny metal again, and makes good contact. After that, my bulbs always work !!

Good Luck !!

--James--

- J
- Jeff Wisnia
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
20 years ago

Thu, Jan 15, 2004 12:33 AM

It is extremely unlikely that all three sockets suddenly deformed enough so that light bulbs won't connect to their contacts properly.

Most likely your "tester" is responding to a miniscule amount of current coupled to it via interwire capacitance. But, that path will not support enough current to light any kind of incandescent bulb.

You have an open circuit somewhere between your breaker panel (or fusebox) and the light fixture.

Since the switch is probably near the fixture, and you tell us that it has to be turned on to make the "tester" lightup/make noise, this tells me that the open circuit is most likely in the neutral lead, and probably a fair distance from the fixture.

I'm afraid you're goiung to have to get a professional, or at least someone quite familiar with these sorts of problems in building wiring, to find and fix the problem for you.

Good luck, and let us know what it turns out to be,

Jeff

-- Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to place the blame on."