My light and fan in the bathroom stopped working. No reset button in there. I tried flipping the breakers.?
Question:I tried the reset buttons on other outlets in the house and switched the breakers off/on. It's just the one bathroom. Everything else works fine. What can I try next? I'm so not an electrician but if it's something
simple, I'd sure like to try it.
Answers:
does the switch for the switch for the fan / light feel the same as the other switches in your bath room? does it have the same snap as when you turn it off and on? do you feel the same resistance on the switch as the others when you turn it off and on? if not i would say it is the switch. it would be the easiest and cheapest to check first. i have gone through this problem with other switches in the bathroom ! if you can turn the power off to these switches and take that switch ot that does not seem to work and then put those 2 wires together then turn the breaker back on and see if that cures the problem if so then all you need is a new single pole switch !
Often in homes there are reset buttons in the garage or maybe near the kitchen.I have had the same thing happen and have to go and do the reset buttons and then everything works again.
At a glance at the question it is possible that you have a dead circuit breaker, which is relatively easy to fix yourself or have an electrostriction do it for you if you are uncomfortable with that sort of thing. I say this since you said you have tried the reset switch on your outlets and the breaker in the box. However if you have other outlets or light fixtures on the same breaker as in the bathroom and they are working then it more than likely be the breaker, there should be a diagram in the breaker box. Another possible problem could be that there is a load on the breaker for some reason keeping it from resetting when you flip it back on. This problem is a little more complex to fix and can vary in reasons behind the problem, a short in a wire could cause this for example, and will probably require an electrician. Or the light and fan unit/fixture could just be dead, either way I wish you luck.
Are the light and fan all one item, or seperate? i would think they were one item and if so, either the nuetral or hot wire has corroded or came loose..or the unit itself has broken.If it is "switched" from the wall ..then the switch itself has gone bad..If you know nothing about electricity this isn't a job for you, however quite simple, if you have a friend that knows electrical basics, you don't need a full fledged electrician to do this task..buy a friend a six pack of "brewskies" and have them fix it... Give the beer to them after the job is done , not before...The steam in the bathroom over long period of time is famous for building corrosion around some electrical connections..the fan/light may be bad itself
By reset buttons, I assume you're refering to GFCI protected receptacles. The bathroom light/fan *shouldn't* be downstream of a GFCI -- but you see all kinds of cheezy wiring jobs.
If ALL of the receptacles in the bathrooms and kitchen work (GFCI's protect receptacles near water sources), then it's not a GFCI issue.
If EVERYTHING else in the house is working except this one light/fan unit, then it's highly unlikely that it's a breaker (it would be really strange to put a single light on it's own breaker). But just to be sure, you can reset all the breakers (again). Some breakers have to be flipped all the way to the off position before they'll reset. So firmly flip each breaker to the off postion before turning it back on.
While unlikely, it's possible that you've got two seperate issues -- a dead fan, and bad light bulb. Before getting into the wiring, install a known good light bulb, just to confirm that's not the issue.
Light's still out? You've either got a wiring problem, a bad switch, or a bad light/fan unit.
The safest way to test the wiring is with a non-contact voltage tester (about $10 at Lowes/HD). This is a plastic probe about the size of a screwdriver handle. When held near a live wire, it buzzes and flashes. You're going to have to determine if you have (A) power to the switch, (B) power out of the switch, and (C) power to the fan/light.
Since both the fan and light are out, my guess would be that the switch has failed. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. (how old is the house?).
Replacement of a switch is pretty easy. Using your voltage sensor to determine if there's power to the switch, start turing off/on breakers until you determine which one controls this switch, and turn it off. With the breaker off, remove the two screws that hold the cover plate, and then the two screws securing the switch in it's junction box. There will be two wires into the switch (and possibly a third, bare wired ground). If the wires are attached with terminal screws, simply loosen the screws until you can remove the wires. If the wires are pushed into holes in the back of the switch, look for a release hole near the wire. This will be a small hole or slot. You'll have to push something (a 10d nail usually fits) into the slot to release the spring clip holding the wire. Once you've go the wires loose, reattach to the new switch (doesn't matter which goes where), and reinstall the switch (do make sure the switch is right-way up -- it should say "ON", not "NO" :) and switch cover. Turn the breaker back on.
If the fan/light still doesn't work after replacing the switch, all that leaves is the fan. And if you're asking here for directions, then this job is probably outside of your abilities. Time to call in an electrician.
I wouldn't think both fan & light would go out at the same time, therefore I'm guessing switch. But, I would not rule out the unit.
If it were me I would start with the switch.
By the way, I Like the nickname
sounds like you need to replace the switch on the wall
I've noticed all answers so far refer you to checking the circuit Breaker , The local wall switch, and lastly the fan wiring connections. Some fans have a internal disconnect plug within the housing this is used for maintenance and or replacement of internal fan assembly. This may have also come undone. be sure to check this as well.
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