Bathroom light circuit dead.

[JBG]

A bulb blew in the bathroom light last week, and after resetting the breaker and replacing the bulb, all the other lights on the circuit still work, but the bathroom light does not.

I have purchased a new light, thinking that it was the light fixture that must have been broken, but to no avail.

I wondered whether any kind souls out there would take a look at this mickey-mouse wiring diagram of the current fixture and tell me if something looks suspect, and how to diagnose/fix the problem? Bit hard to shave at 6am without a light! It has a dimmer switch on it, but when turned on - nothing happens.

have very little experience of electrical matters any how, but can usually work things out.

Many thanks, JBG

[Andrew Chesters]

Shall we start with the brown wire connected to the neutral terminal? That in itself wouldn't stop the light working unless perhaps it is an electronic transformer for low voltage lamps.

Where does wire 2 go? Do you have a two-way switch?

Andrew

[JBG]

Brown and blue wires just go into opposite side of a plastic bulb-holding fixture that the bulb screws into. Not sure what you mean by two-way switch - there is only one switch for this light?

Thanks, JBG

[JBG]

That said - there is an unused switch high-up the wall for an extractor fan which must have been removed before I moved in. I've tried switching it on and off and using the light - but nothing happens. Perhaps that's where wire 2 goes?

Cheers, JBG

[Andy Wade]

Replace the fuse in the dimmer switch if it has one, otherwise replace the whole switch. (To test this hypothesis, remove the switch and temporarily connect the two wires together with a choc-block terminal. Turn the power back on and if the light comes on the trouble definitely lies in the switch.)

rest of the lighting circuit, 2 goes to the switch and 4 to a bathroom fan. BTW the brown and blue on terminals A and H are the wrong way round, although the neutral and live labels are correct.

[JBG]

Thanks Andy - I'll give that a shot. Figured it was worth putting the effort into drawing that picture before asking everyone to guess what the problem was! I'll swap the cables over too, just in case I ever go back to this fitting...

[Bill]

In message , JBG writes

I would suggest that wire 4 goes to the extractor fan switch that you mention elsewhere as the fan would need live, neutral and switched live. Wires 1 and 3 appear to be supply and 2 goes to your light switch.

You say that there is a dimmer switch, these often have a fuse in them so it may be worth a look, turn the breaker off first though.

The brown and blue wires going to live and neutral should really be the other way around, blue-neutral and brown-live although this would not stop the light working it could be a bit confusing.

Great graphics by the way.

[JBG]

Thanks Andy - the hypothesis test works (wish I hadn't bought a new lamp now, but it's nice so might as well fit it!) so I'll have to buy a replacement switch, the fuse must be sealed inside the plastic box on the back of the switch...

Thanks for all your help guys - pays to ask the experts!

Best regards, JBG

[Lobster]

The clear picture really helps - wish I had a pound for every post here which starts off "...so I disconnected the ceiling rose and now there's all these different wires hanging down so how do I work out how to reconnect them....

[troubleinstore]

Perhaps it's your new bulb that doesn't work