When I turned the circuit breaker back on after replacing a ceiling light fixture, the light on the new fixture didn't come on and neither did the light in another room on the same circuit. I flipped the breaker switch back off and rechecked the wiring on the new fixture. The neutral wire had come loose, so I reconnected it and made sure the connection was good. I turned the breaker switch back on, but nothing changed. Any ideas?

 

Does everything else work on the circuit other than the light? IF so, then recheck your wiring of the light.

 

No. The light and fan in a nearby bathroom (which I know are on the same circuit) and another ceiling light which is on a switch related to the new light are not working.

 

For all the civilians out there , always take something like masking tape and a Sharpie & label each wire . Then take photos of it . Then put it back like you took it apart .

OK , my guess is you got one of the blacks mixed up . With switch legs .

God bless
Wyr

 

Try turning off the breaker again and back on a few times. Otherwise you will need to open the panel and check the breaker with a meter.

 

You haven't told us all the wiring at the switch and the light. If nothing on the breaker works then follow Tolyn's instructions. However if only some items don't work my guess is you have a switch loop and instead of disconnecting just the previous light you disconnected all the wires then just reconnected by color not function.

Edit: Several replies at the same time so our replies and suggestions may seem slightly contradictory but that is because different people have slightly different approaches to the same problem.

 

I haven't looked at the wiring at the switches. There are three switches that operate two ceiling lights which go on and off together. The light I replaced had a black wire and a white wire and a ground wire. Black was connected to black, white to white, and the ground wire was connected to the metal box. I connected the new light the same way.

 

Then it sounds like the breaker but tell us all the wiring at the light. Do you have a multimeter (preferably analog)? (Non contact tester won't work.)

 

Can you also check the bulb in another fixture?

 

The wiring at the light is one black, one white. I don't have a multimeter.

 

To pcboss: light bulb won't fit in any of my other fixtures, but I don't think the bulb is the issue. Nothing on this circuit breaker appears TP be working, not just the new fixture.

 

That narrows it down to a bad breaker, not likely, or a poor connection.

 

And since you have only a black and white wire at the light the bad connection is likely at the switch.A $8-$15 analog multimeter would be a good investment. (Cheap digital multimeters are more likely to give misleading readings due to induced voltage.)

 

So, you're saying, even though I did nothing with the wiring at the three switch locations associated with the light I replaced, I should check those locations for a loose connection? (Everything worked perfectly before I replaced the light.) Thanks.

 

Check the breaker first: To test the breaker without a multimeter swap the wire on the breaker in question with the wire on another breaker of the same size.

Warning: Turn off main breaker before swapping the wires. Some areas of the box remain hot even with the main breaker off so always work as if the panel was hot.

 

How would I test the circuit if I purchase a multimeter?

 

You will set the voltage range to 250 and place one probe on black and the other on white, repeat black to ground. You should get 120 volts on both tests,.

 

In the panel to test the breaker one probe on the breaker wire terminal screw and one on the neutral bar. Doesn't mater which probe to which.

 

You can have a loose wire / screw on the Circuit Breaker . If comfortable doing it & with the main turner off , remove the CB and examine the buss ( blade ) in the load center where it plugs in . To see if things have been loose & arcing or hot .

Most plug in CB's are so cheap ( if you have one of the common brands , except Federal Pacific ) are cheap enough . By the time you get to this point , just replace it , if for no other reason than peace of mind . If there was nothing wrong with the original CB , keep it as a spare .

Terminate the wire at the screw , on the new CB . Hook it in at the back ( the end you hooked the wire to ) and pivot it towards the middle of the load center ( buss bar ) . Make sure it plugs in all the way / securely .

Now turn everything back on , check voltage on ALL the CB's . Go check & see if this fixed your problem .

God bless
Wyr