For all you electricians out there...help

[goplay234]

Ok, so I woke up this morning and none of by bathroom lights work. Aside from the hilarity of bumbling around my bathroom trying not to slip and crack my head open on something, this is probably something I can fix. I went and I checked the breaker, reset it, and still no joy. All other lights in the house work 4.0 (Gotta love MAF speak). Any suggestions on how to fix it. I would really not pay some dude to do a 10 dollar job for fifty.
Thanks.

 

[VarmintShooter]

Do you have any sockets that have their own circuit breaker (ie. the little red button that pops out, usually on a socket near the sink)? If one of those pops, all of them on the same circuit will go out.

Generally wires don't go bad.

 

[Brett327]

Ok, so I woke up this morning and none of by bathroom lights work. Aside from the hilarity of bumbling around my bathroom trying not to slip and crack my head open on something, this is probably something I can fix. I went and I checked the breaker, reset it, and still no joy. All other lights in the house work 4.0 (Gotta love MAF speak). Any suggestions on how to fix it. I would really not pay some dude to do a 10 dollar job for fifty.
Thanks.

Do the outlets in your bathroom work, or are they out too? That will tell you if it's a circuit problem vice just your lights (as the whole bathroom is likely to be on the same breaker). Second, do you have a meter? Without one, it's going to be hard for you to really isolate where your problem is. If so equipped (and with appropriate due diligence in electrical safety), work your way backwards starting at the connection at the light fixture, then to the switch, measuring for voltage. If you're not getting anything at the switch (and you've already confirmed that it's not a circuit wide problem), then it may be down to getting into walls and such which may be more trouble than it's worth. Start with the above and report back.

Brett

 

[The Chief]

Ok, so I woke up this morning and none of by bathroom lights work. Aside from the hilarity of bumbling around my bathroom trying not to slip and crack my head open on something, this is probably something I can fix. I went and I checked the breaker, reset it, and still no joy. All other lights in the house work 4.0 (Gotta love MAF speak). Any suggestions on how to fix it. I would really not pay some dude to do a 10 dollar job for fifty. Thanks.

Agree.

Easy kill first. Sure the lamps are not burned out? Do not assume that two will not go at the same time (Voltage surge). By National Electrical code bathroom must be supplied by more than one circuit, that is the receptacles separate from lighting. That said, folks do not always follow code. Lamps check out, next I would check the circuit breaker itself. Was only last week neighboor called, furnace out and she was going to call HVAC tech, serious $$. I checked system, when I checked circuit breaker it was bad, e.g., meter on black wire coming from circuit breaker, other meter lead to ground, should read 120V nominal. Last I would check the switch. Unless that house is over say 50 years old, would not even suspect wiring, except in the unusual case of house aluminum wiring instead of copper. Aluminum wiring is bad stuff, was only used couple of years think mid - early 70's.

Note: Switches are tricky. Several different ways to configure a switch. Have actually seen switches wired to switch the neutral side, a definite no no.

PM me if you need safety or other info.

 

[Schnugg]

What heyjoe was referring to is a GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interuptor (SP?)
It prevents you from electricuting yourself if your hair dryer is not grounde and shorts.

My wife pops the one at our bathroom sink outlet sometimes when she removes a plug from the socket.

Can be in a completely different room and/or floor and affect the circuit you are concerned with. Check around. We also had one pop when our christmas lights got rained on.

More info: http://doityourself.com/electric/gfci.htm

 

[The Chief]

Forgot to mention dimmer switch, which if installed on the failed light circuit, is most likely cause. The SCR's on the older dimmers have a very high failure rate.