Bathroom lights have blown - need help.


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Old 03-18-06, 06:09 AM
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Bathroom lights have blown - need help.

Hi everyone,

My wife put a 100w bulb in the bathroom and now the bathroom light (as well as the strip light
above the mirror) don't work anymore. I went down in the basement and checked all the main switches and everything is fine. I also chequed the GHFC in the powder room and that isn't tripped.
All the other lights/outlets are working fine in the house and even the cieling fan in that
bathroom is working but the lights don't work.

any ideas what the problem might me?

Thanks
 
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Old 03-18-06, 06:33 AM
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You have a loose connection that has opened, causing an open circuit. It could be an open on the hot wire, or on the neutral wire.

Since your wife just replaced the bathroom light, I would first look there. You will have to remove the fixture and check the wires. Of course do this with the power off. Check for a wire nut connection that has failed. Pull on each wire in each wire nut. If one comes out then remake the connection, preferably with a new wire nut.

If the problem is not at the bathroom, it could be anywhere on the circuit, at a light, at a receptacle, or at a switch. You will have to, one at a time, open each box on the circuit, whether the light or receptacle is working or not, and check the connections.
 
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Old 03-18-06, 07:14 AM
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Thanks a lot for your help. I'm not very technically inclined so i'm probably gonna have to call
someone (electrician) to do this for me.
Any idea what something like this would cost to fix?

Thanks again buddy.
 
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Old 03-18-06, 07:29 AM
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Assuming the problem is a loose connection, it's all going to be labor. Hopefully it's easy to find and fix, and will take the minimum amount of time. Depending upon where you live and what the going rates are, it could be anywhere from $60 to $200.

If you have other small electrical things you want done, you may want to make a list. You may be able to slide other things in on the same labor charge, and only have to pay for parts. By small I mean things like changing a receptacle or a switch, installing a GFCI receptacle, etc.

However, before calling an electrician, I would eliminate the basic, which you may have already done. Turn all circuits breakers completely OFF and then back on, as some circuit breakers may appear to be on when they have tripped, check for other GFCIs in the house (garage, basement, outside), and make a complete list of the items on the circuit that has the problem. (Hopefully you already have this list.)
 
 

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