Light Fixture Problems – What To Look Out For!
Christmas is nearly upon us and there is bound to be some niggling problem with your home lightbulbs that need fixing before the festivities begin. Homeowners often overlook light fixtures in the home when it comes to maintenance. We walk in the room and flip on the light switch, assuming it will always light the bulb. However, that isn’t always the case! Sometimes common electrical problems can cause the problem, or it may just be that a bulb burned out.
If you’re not familiar with electrics, then you should call the electrician. If you’re interested in electrical problems, then this may be an opportunity to test your abilities to become an electrician! There are introductory multiskills courses available, training at weekends and you may even decide to get yourself onto a fulltime City & Guilds NVQ 2330 course to get you up and running on the career ladder!
But here is a list of common lightbulb problems and some recommended repairs to keep the lights shining brightly in your home:
Ceiling Light Fixture- light bulb will not light up.
- Check the light bulb first to see if either burnt out or is loose in the socket.
- Check the socket tab in the centre of the socket by pulling up on it in order for it to make contact with the bulb.
- Check the connections at the switch and make sure that they are tight - ensure that the power is turned off to the circuit that you are working on!
- Check the connections at the light and the breaker panel to be sure they are all connected tightly.
Ceiling Light Fixture - light flickers.
If the bulb flickers on and off, it usually means that the switch contacts are deteriorating. Usually you’ll be able to hear a sizzling or crackling sound if the switch contacts are bad. In this case, replace the switch.
It also could be that the connections are loose, either on the switch, at the panel, or in the junction box of the light. There also is the possibility that the connections to the light socket could be loose. Check all of these points and tighten if necessary. If the socket connection is loose, replace the light socket.
Recessed Lights - light turns on and off by itself.
Check the size of the bulb in the socket. Make sure the wattage of the bulb doesn’t exceed the recommended wattage rating for the fixture. The maximum wattage will be listed on a tag on the fixture or socket.
The limit switch turns the unit off when the temperature reaches an unsafe level. Over-sized bulbs will radiate an excessive amount of heat and could potentially cause a fire if the limit didn’t shut off the light
