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?
Presumably the circuit worked fine before you screwed the switch back (you said that you had screwed it back after functional testing)
Then the fault must either be...
In the switch - if you had pinched the switch return with the platescrew then the switch would have carried all the fault current (apparent voltage at the light does not prove the switch is ok)
In the circuit somewhere (not the neutral) - fault current through a dodgy connection somewhere may have separated a termination.
I think the 'abuse' you have received has been because:
You worked on the switch live
You mentioned not having your test gear (often used excuse on here)
Your use of terminology
You asked on a Friday night lol
