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09-14-03, 12:15 PM

brownp

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lighting

My porch light quit working. It is not a burnt out light......what do I do?

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09-14-03, 12:20 PM

John Nelson

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There are several possibilities:

Burnt out light, but you apparently have already tried a new bulb which you knew for certain to be good.
Sometimes porch lights have both a switch and a photoelectric eye. The electric eye could have gone bad, or maybe you just tried to turn it on in the daytime.
The switch could have gone bad, or a connection to it failed.
The fixture could have gone bad, or a connection to it failed.
The circuit breaker could have tripped.
The light might be on a GFCI and the GFCI might have tripped.
Someone could have put a nail into the wire when hanging a picture or installing new siding.

An electrically-experienced person can check these things out. If you don't know an electrically-experienced person, and you are not one yourself, then you can either hire one or become one (by studying several books on home wiring).

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09-14-03, 08:12 PM

brownp

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I tried a new bulb and it came on for about 10 seconds and then went out. The switch is good because the same switch turns on the outside street lamp. Must be the fixture.... a short maybe. What are the steps in checking and fixing it.

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09-14-03, 08:20 PM

John Nelson

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Try another bulb. Maybe the first one burnt out naturally and the second one was bad right out of the box.

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09-18-03, 06:17 PM

brownp

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John,

That worked. Bad light. Would have never guessed because it was brand new. Thanks again.

Pat

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Electrical - AC & DC
Can Lights

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Bob M on Sep 18, 2003

Hello folks! Not to be a pain in the can (pun) but I have a question on recessed can lights that I can't seem to address, I have two Lightolier 1102P1 can lights on a switch. On of the lights has recently decided to go on strike. The other works perfectly. Previous to this, the bulbs that I was placing in the (out) can would last for only a short period of time then blow with no warning. Recently the light would start to flicker then go out. After a period of time (with the switch off) the light would restart and be okay for several days then repeat the cycle ( flicker, out, restart). Now I have nothing . Working bulb from other light will not work in this can. This can is thermally protected, is this indicative of the thermal protection causing it? The protector has three wires leading from it (white/ blue/black) and I would do wire for wire replacment. The light is in a open space in the kitchen ceiling ( between rafters, no insulation ).It is rated for 150 watt bulbs and we use 100, so I don't know if heat is a factor here. Do these thermals go bad with age? I have power in the line up to the can wire connectors, but nothing at the light socket. Inside the socket, however, one of the connections looks like it was burnt. Could the assembly be shorted, or could a bad thermal cause this? Is it better to replace the whole socket or only the thermal ? Is it possible to replace only the thermal? Looked at the Orange Box and didn't find any. Any help appreciated.Read More
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mike from nj on Sep 18, 2003

hey guys and gals, a question for the professionals in here: [url]http://www.tytewadd.com/[/url] has anybody ever used one of these, or heard anything about these--good or bad? i'm looking for whole house protection and this product came up in a book i read, it's performance on paper look good, but then again, anything can be made to look good on paper, so that's why i'm asking in here. all comments welcomed as well as alternative products mikeRead More

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