wall light fault

[amckay]

My neighbour asked me to put some fancy switch plates up after he decorated. So I'm screwing the plate into the back box and Bang! I mustn't of tightened a connection properly (prob should have turned circuit off too lol) :-( so I make everything ok and re energise circuit but lights for that switch won't illuminate. Change of bulbs reveals its still not working. I've used a non contact voltage detector to check there is power to the lamps and have checked continuity using a fluke t90 and some old offcut to make up the distance and continuity is fine on both L+N. I can't do IR as my tester has been sent away for calibration with screwfix.
I've never come across this before and so far I'm stumped. Any ideas where the fault lies?

 

[R G]

First of all you need proper test leads , then get an Electrician to use them ,,
If your using a volt stick , this would light up anyway as the neutral is still connected through other lamps ,
Other point is You should not have been messing with this live ,

 

[Pete999]

As above you should have isolated first naughty boy

 

[Brightspark2]

Faulty switch?...

 

[simpson93]

sounds like blown the switch as above. give it a sniff, does it smell of burning?

 

[amckay]

First of all you need proper test leads , then get an Electrician to use them ,,
If your using a volt stick , this would light up anyway as the neutral is still connected through other lamps ,
Other point is You should not have been messing with this live ,

I have proper test leads that are attached to my meter which is in a calibration workshop somewhere in north Manchester. I am an electrician. Voltstick = fair point. I had it live as I did I functional test, just didn't bother screwing it back while circuit was dead.

 

[amckay]

sounds like blown the switch as above. give it a sniff, does it smell of burning?

It didn't smell so, and there were no obvious marks etc. I'll try a new switch but I doubt that's the fault as the live goes out to the lamp.

 

[NickD]

My neighbour asked me to put some fancy switch plates up after he decorated. So I'm screwing the plate into the back box and Bang! I mustn't of tightened a connection properly (prob should have turned circuit off too lol) :-( so I make everything ok and re energise circuit but lights for that switch won't illuminate. Change of bulbs reveals its still not working. I've used a non contact voltage detector to check there is power to the lamps and have checked continuity using a fluke t90 and some old offcut to make up the distance and continuity is fine on both L+N. I can't do IR as my tester has been sent away for calibration with screwfix.
I've never come across this before and so far I'm stumped. Any ideas where the fault lies?

Do you have a proper GS38 voltage indicator?

 

[7029 dave]

tut tut!!

 

[amckay]

My neighbour asked me to put some fancy switch plates up after he decorated. So I'm screwing the plate into the back box and Bang! I mustn't of tightened a connection properly (prob should have turned circuit off too lol) :-( so I make everything ok and re energise circuit but lights for that switch won't illuminate. Change of bulbs reveals its still not working. I've used a non contact voltage detector to check there is power to the lamps and have checked continuity using a fluke t90 and some old offcut to make up the distance and continuity is fine on both L+N. I can't do IR as my tester has been sent away for calibration with screwfix.
I've never come across this before and so far I'm stumped. Any ideas where the fault lies?

Do you have a proper GS38 voltage indicator?

Yes. Fluke T90 as mentioned in OP.

 

[NickD]

Yes. Fluke T90 as mentioned in OP.

Fair enough, didn't recognise it, thought it might be a mutleymeter. I would safe isolate then short the live feed and switched lives at the switch, in junction block or the same terminal on the switch, then deisolate. If the lights don't then come on, I would be carefully checking with the Fluke whether there was 230V between the junction I just made and earth. Then the same between switched live and earth up at the light fitting. You said you checked live and neutral continuity with the Fluke but bear in mind it only draws what, 3mA? Maybe what with your shorting out calamity you have some medium-impedance continuity there, bad contact or something, that looks OK on the Fluke or with the non contact tester with no current draw, but is too much to get current for the lights through. Maybe you have 230V live to neutral up at the lights with no bulbs in but when you load it with a bulb it's collapsing.

 

[amckay]

Thanks nickD
Personally I'd like to throw a new cable in but its just been redecorated IMHO the GAF needs a rewire, like my house next door did.
When I moved in the 7kw shower was on 2.5mm cable. Should have seen the blackened cable behind the DP isolater pull cord.... Rough stuff

 

[NickD]

IMHO the GAF needs a rewire, like my house next door did

Taking a risk putting in fancy switch plates then, aren't you, if you mean replacing plastic with metal?

 

[amckay]

Well the earth cont is ok, he had pir and after looking at certs it seems ok. I'll know better when I test it myself tho.

 

[trev]

IMHO the GAF needs a rewire

he had pir and after looking at certs it seems ok. I'll know better when I test it myself tho.

?
Forgive my questioning nature, I'm a Geordie, it's genetic.

 

[dazza1981]

Did you fit the old switch back that you replaced to see if it is the new switch thats nakered

 

[Silly Sausage]

Well the earth cont is ok, he had pir and after looking at certs it seems ok. I'll know better when I test it myself tho.

How did you prove the Earth continuity?
The T90 isn't particularly accurate on that front.

 

[NickD]

Well the earth cont is ok, he had pir and after looking at certs it seems ok. I'll know better when I test it myself tho.

I'm with Trev on this one, why do you think it needs a rewire then?

 

[NickD]

How did you prove the Earth continuity?
The T90 isn't particularly accurate on that front.

And as you've said your tester is in Cash Converters' window, sorry, I mean off being recalibrated.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Well the earth cont is ok, he had pir and after looking at certs it seems ok. I'll know better when I test it myself tho.

so i guess a loop test isn`t in order then.....