Help with bedroom ceiling downlighters not working Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[pthawkes]

Hello, I need help in understanding why my bedroom ceiling downlighters are not working. They are on the same circuit as my bathroom and ceiling fan (these are working). I have pulled the can lights out of the ceiling and checked the junction boxes to see that connections are not loose. I have checked the voltage on the junction boxes and all are on 0Volts. The wall switch for the downlighters is a two switch dimmer switch. Although only one of the dimmer switches controls the ceiling lights. I have checked the voltage coming off the dimmer switches and one of the terminals is always 0 volts (see image)...does this indicate that the switch is faulty or is it because there is nothing coming off of that switch. If its not the switch - them I'm not sure what else could be wrong??

[Mr White]

If the state of the switch does not change when you operate the switch, it is highly likely the switch has failed.

It would however depend on how you have determined that fact, you would need to be sure you are checking the switched live and not the live feed.

If both switches are the same you could try swapping the switch wires over to see do the lights operate.

It is not uncommon when a lamp controlled by a dimmer switch fails, for the dimmer switch to be destroyed by the huge fault current of the lamp failing.

[pthawkes]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply...when you say "It would however depend on how you have determined that fact, you would need to be sure you are checking the switched live and not the live feed." I have measured this using a multimeter. I have then switched the dimmer on and off but the 0 volts measurements does not change. The set up is bit strange as only one of the switches of the pair has ever controlled our ceiling lights, the other switch has never done anything so unsure why it was ever a two switch dimmer switch. (I am not able to say for sure which one it was though :-)).