What's wrong with my kitchen lights?
Question:I have two recessed lights in my kitchen that stopped working. My husband checked the breaker and the light bulbs and that's not the problem. He checked the switch and it's fine. There is juice running to the switch but not to the fixtures. I don't see how it could be the fixtures because they would have had to go out at the same time then months later they came on when we tried the switch then two days later they went out again and they haven't turned on again for months now. We would like to fix this ourselves. Any ideas on what's wrong? We live in Las Vegas, if we had to hire an electrician what's the least expensive way to do so?
Answers:
You say that these are recessed lights, so I'll take a guess that they are not flourescents. So we can rule out a ballast. If there is power to the switch, is it on both sides of the switch? If not, the switch is bad. If there is power to both sides of the switch, you probably have a loose connection on the neutral. These don't normally just fall apart if you have not been working around the wires. DO you have copper or aluminum wiring? Connections can get loose if you have aluminum and this is a safety issue! Get it checked by a qualified electrician or handyman.
You say that there is power going TO the switch, but is there power LEAVING the switch?? Other than that, I'm thinking that you have a loose connection somewhere. I would replace the switch and tighten the connections around it first.then go from there.
A lot of recessed lights do have an overload switch built into them, but since both of them come and go at the same time, I doubt that is the problem.
Your description of the situation was great! Too bad others who are asking for help don't do as well.
first see if you have power coming out of the switch if so check for power just before it goes into lite fixture could be broken wire hope this helps if not email me back...tom
If they are fluorescent lights have you checked the fuses in the lights themselves?
I would suspect either the switch or a loose neutral at one of the lights-- the lights are tied together electrically if they both work off the same switch
Power to the switch but no power to the fixtures. Lets say that when you checked the power to the fixture you had the switch turned on. Replace your switch. "Then months later they came on" - The lights wouldn't work then for no apparent reason, except for a good months rest, they started working. This could also have been an indication that the switch was going bad and the second time you tried it you hit the swtch just right. A switch will cost you a couple of bucks and 10 min. to replace the switch. If replacing the switch doesn't work, then you can call an electrician but at least you know it's not the switch.
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