February 20, 2012 By Dave Rongey ©2007-2012Author - Licensed Electrical Contractor Filed under Lighting
|
|
Why Do Lights Stop Working? |
|
Possible Electrical Problems That May Affect Your Lights
- One day they both worked, then we had our new garage doors installed, now they don’t work. Neither of them.
- We have replaced the switch and have live feed to both of them, up to where the bulb goes.
- It has power (used volt meter), however, the light still doesn’t turn on. We are not sure what else to try.
- We assume the assembly is good, since there is power to it when we put the volt meter where the bulb goes.
This electrical question came from: Lydia, a Homeowner from Fredericksburg, VA
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Lydia.
Electrical Problems That May Affect Your Lights
- You have stated that the fixture is getting power, so the switch should be ok.
- Be aware that when using a tester you need to check for both the hot and the neutral to see if 120 volts present. It may be that the neutral wire is not working.
- This may be the result of a loose neutral wire connection and the remedy may be to inspect and tighten up the wire connectors.
- There is a very good possibility that when the garage door opener was installed that power was provided from an existing source in the garage which may have caused the outside lights to stop working. Another possibility is that if new hardware was installed for the garage doors that a screw or anchor may have penetrated a wire inside a wall and caused damage.
- If I were you I would call the garage door installer, tell that the outside lights have not worked ever since they installed the garage doors and have them check their work. If it was there problem, have them fix it.
The Following links will assist you with your Electrical Wiring for Lighting
Garage Electrical Wiring
Garage electrical wiring diagram and considerations for wiring garage circuits, complete with pictures. Careful planning for your garage with immediate and future equipment considerations will help you understand how to size your electrical circuit requirements. This information will help as an garage electrical wiring guide.
Be Careful and Be Safe - Never Work on Energized Circuits!
Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all projects.
For Best Results Consult a Licensed Electrical Contractor in Your Area
