How do you fix outside light sockets i check my fuse box and the fuse seem fine please help?
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Answers:
Look, I totally disagree with calling an electrician right out of the gate. Forums like this are not to send someone to a highly paid professional right away, but if you find yourself in a position where you are looking at a bare wire and don't know what to do.call a pro. If you smell smoke, call a pro. If there is evidence of scorching inside the fixture or swicht box, call a pro.
Chances are your problems will be
1. Fuse
2. Bulb
3. fixture wiring
4. switch(s)
5. acual wiring.
Fuse you said you checked, but without splitting hairs drop in a new fuse to make sure the one installed isn't a dud. (I assume you mean fuse and not circuit breaker.)
Try a new bulb, or at least install this one in a known working socket to make sure the element lights.
next unscrew the fuse and take the fixture down to inspect the wiring. Often the wires in outside fixtures can get brittle and break. Make any replacements or repairs at the fixture.
Your question was light on detail. If you haven't looked for a second switch.look. Sometimes there is a second switch that someone wired incorrectly for two way use. When properly wired you should be able to fully operate the fixture from any of the switches. If improperly wired, one of the switches will not work unless the other is already turned on.
next (again with fuse unscrewed), remove the switch and inspect the wiring. Make ane connections or repairs as necessary.
Lastly if none of these has isolated your problem, then call a pro. Based on your question, I figure you won't be quite ready to remove and replace wiring.
Note, my answers assume the light isn't timed or motion controlled.
Good Luck,
This is VERY dangerous for anyone who is not a licensed electrician. I also have this problem and apparently some wires shorted out. Had I replaced the fixture, my house probably would have burned down. The fuses on mine showed fine too; however, I opened up the light switch for this outside light fixture and the wires got TOO hot to touch. I got an estimate on repairing this and was told it was going to involve ripping out the wall to get to all the wires and replacing them. There were also burnt spots on the wires inside the switch. I have battery operated lights outside now, plus solar lights. Of course, I dont own this home, if you do, you might want to go to the expense.
First, if you are not comforatable working with electricity.. STOP and call an electrician.. Now that the caveat is over..
I wasn't clear if this was light socket or electrical outlet as I have heard the term for both so I answered both questions..
If you have done the basics and tested with another known good bulb, it may be your swithc or if it is a motion sensor, it may be the electronics.
You said the first test is done and you have tested the fuse to see what else is on it to make sure it is functioning properly so I'll skip that
..
If that checks out, go to DIY store and buy a $5 voltage tester.. it has 2 probes and one or two lights that indicate the voltage that is coming to it. then take the face plate off the switch and test the switch first as that is easier than removing the light from the house.. Talk to the store person about how to test the swich.. or just go ahead and replace it if it is damaged, cheap looking or old.
Lastly, in either order:
1) With fuse out remove the fixture from the wall and see if any of the connections have come loose or are corroded in the wire nuts.
2)With fuse in and switch on test the leads into it to see if you get current. to the fixture..
If all of these pass then it is the electronics in the fixture..
You can also buy a cheap ceramic temp or test fixtrue to wire up to the spot and if it works that will tell you it is the light fixture
If I misinterpreted the question and it really means electrical outlets then the same testing applies minus the switch if they are direct wired.. Use that $5 voltage tester to see if you have power in the outlet, then with breaker off remove it feom the wall, turn the power back on and let the tester tell you if you have power on the wires coming into it. if not then you have a bad breaker or a bad junctione somewhere else up the line.. (If other things are on the breakerand working it is in the line connections somewhere and on a finished area, that will be a costly nightmare..)
if you have done everything that you know its time to call a pro it could be anything from a bad switch, fixture, wireing its time to troubleshoot for sure
I have this problem usually when we have had a power outage or a surge. I go to my fuse box and flip all the fuses back and forthe once then at the bottom of my fuse box there is a tester fuse thing (sorry I don't know what it is called) and usually when I press it my sockets and lights outside all work.
Try it, good luck
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