Garage Ceiling Light

Light does not work no power, but if you touch the tester to the ground wire and black line it works. What could be the problem?
This in the ceiling light not the switch.
Thank You.

 

What do you mean "touch to the ground wire"? When you touch it to the bare ground wire or when you touch it to the (white) return wire?

 

Read this including the thread that it links to. I know it's a lot to read, but your is not a simple problem.

 

To electrical/computer enginer Bob. It is tested to the ground and black wire not the white wire, and I get the light to work.

 

Sounds like you have an open neutral. Work your way back from the socket, and look for a white wire that has slipped out from a wire nut. Be careful, because there could be current on the other neutrals.

 

As Andrew has said, your neutral is open somewhere.

Do you know where the wires to the light come from? Figure out what else is on the same circuit breaker and fuse, and then work back from the light. The first place to check is probably the switch.

 

Yes we located the line and it is coming from the bedroon circuit but we still cannot find the break in the neutral line. We are thinking of running a new line and boxing this line off. What do you think of this situation?

 

That box has live wires in it. Unless you find the other end of the cable and disconnect it you must leave the box accessible. You can not bury it or cut the wires off and leave them hanging in the wall or ceiling.

 

Do you have any working outlets on this same circuit? If so then break in neutral will be between it and light. Check outlets with your voltage tester from black to white. If one is working open it up and start there back to your not working light You may also have to check in switch boxes and other light fixtures with persistance you will find the problem....Good luck....RL

 

Thanks for all the information, I have to wait and let my buddy read what you all have said and go from there. I will let you know our decision, and if it works out, it sure is bafling. I know the previous owner did something to make the light not work, all this to save a penny. I inherited this situation. He moved out of state.

 

Are you saying this light was intentionally disabled/deenergized by previous owner?

 

RIFRAZEE, yes,that is what my neighbor told me. He did something to make the light not work.

 

Ok at the the light fixture if only black and white from switch present and no others except light connections, go to the switch. Are the whites in the switch box securely under the wire nut? Take the wire nut loose an old trick is to not strip the insulation from one of the white wires and stick it up into the wire nut but because it isnt stripped wont make connection with other white wire or wires. It could be that none of the whites under wire nut are stripped but will still be secure because wire nut is twisted on to unstriped wires. If everything else is working on this circuit then whatever this previous owner did (assuming he did anything) is either at the switch or where power is tapped to bring this power to the switch.....Good luck and let us know what you find.....RL

 

I was away but before that we cannot find where the trouble is and right now I am for boxing off the old line and running a new one over to the switch and then to the ceiling light, or I might forget the whole thing. I was told maybe a plug was put in backwards and this could cause the problem. I am ready to give up. Thank you all for your input.