Electral

Based on what you said: Lack of or too weak an electromotive force.

Perhaps your power is out.

s

emgrene had written this in response to

:

I have power to this switch. but it is low compared to others I tested. I test> Perhaps your power is out.

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How do you measure current? Clamp on meter? Do you mean voltage? Is there a second switch for the light?

bet he is using a digital voltmeter, they show inductive voltages.

has OP checked ALL breakers and fuses? power likely out to that circuit

emgrene had written this in response to

:

The way I tested it is a tester with the two probes and the small light. I know very little about electral but felt like if it was just a switch I could do that. But it appears it is more than that because I changed the switch and it didn't change, The light is very bright when test> I have a wall switch ths when tested shows low current flowing. I > changes

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Hi, Do you trouble-shoot an AC circuit measuring durrent, not voltage? What do you use ti measure AC current? I am just curious.

Hi, I think you better check your brekar panel first. Sounds like there is no power available.

how are you measuring "low compared to others tested"??

s

I doubt if you measure the current at all. Many people say current when they mean voltage, and few people have a device to measure AC current.

So, did you measure the voltage or the current? Where were your probes when you measured the voltage, and did you use an analog meter or a digital meter?

And what was the voltage (or current) reading that you got when you measured? Why don't you tell us that. There's a big difference between 105 volts and 10 volts, and they mean diffferent things.

OH, you're using a light. They indicate voltage, not current. Because test lights are not connected in series with the current you would like to measure. Pleaes either learn enough to get your terminology right, or give more details in the first place, like the fact that you are using a neon test light.

You should get yourself a meter and learn to understand it. They are less than 20 dollars at Home Depot or Radio Shack. RS is better becaues they have several models. GET the second cheapest one that is about 16 dollars, or get one from Harbor Freight, which is about 4 dollars on sale (6 at other times) plus shipping. The big disadvantage of Harbor Freight meters is that the cheap ones don't have audible indicators for continuity (When you measure resistance and it's low enough, a huzzer sounds. Very convenient, and you don't have to look at the meter. Cheap HF meters don't have that, but I think 16 dollar RS meters do. )

Although digital meters can sometimes show misleading induced voltages, you can learn to allow for that. And IMO they are easier to use and work in more situations. But analog meters (those with a needle that moves) won't show these induced voltages and can be simpler to use.

Fluorscent, compact fluorescent, or incandescant light?

You probalby mean voltage here too.

No. I need more info.

It's not MORE than that. It's other than that. The odds are near zero that your switch was bad. I always save all the parts I replace until a repair is finished. You should save your switch. You can use it somewhere else.

Did you connect the tester between the ground and one wire of the switch, and then connect the tester between the ground and the other wire? If you had done that, you would have probably seen that when the switch was ON, the light was the same in both places. That would have indicated that the swtich was ON when it was suppposed to be ON.

If you did the same tests with the switch OFF, you probalby would have gotten different results. Getting different results would have been conclusive proof that the switch was good. But everything is so much easier with a meter, that you shoudl buy a meter.

If you're at RS, also buy a bag of 10 test leads, the wires with alligator clips at both ends. You can use one of them on your black lead so that you can clip the other end to a ground (or whereever else it might need to be in different circumstances). That will free up one hand and greatly benefit you. It will even enable you to do measurements while standing on a ladder.

The meter and the jumper wires will be under 25 dollars and will be invaluable in fixing your house that costs 10's of thousands.

Although I referred to induced voltages in my other post, iirc the stray induced voltages under 25 volts that people worry about here as being confusing are not enough to light a neon test light. What do others say? (500 volts AC are enough to light a neon light, even when the probes aren't touching anything.)

Is there any chance his test light is not neon? OP do you know? Inside the bulb, is there a short thick (thicker than a pencil lead)) silver colored rod? If so, that's a neon light.

How many wires are coming into the switch's box? You may have straight power to the light fixture, and the hot wire is broken and run through the 2 wires back through the switch. Tony

[snip]

A light isn't connected in series, only if you don't connect it in series. Connected in series, it glows only when sufficient current is flowing.

[snip]

It would be useful if a meter had a "load" button. When pressed it would connect a small load across the terminals (when measuring voltage). A drop in the reading would indicate induced voltage.

[snip]

Have you replaced the lamps in the fixture?

Well, I guess I was thinking of this guy. I know he didn't do that. :-)

IIRC my first test equipment worked like that. It was a 110 volt light bulb, a socket, cord and an ice pick. I was 18 looking for a short, trying to find out what was draining my battery in my '50 Olds.

Good idea. One could make something like that that plugged into the meter and the test leads plugged into it.

One of my meters has a DPDT slide switch on the leads, which makes it very easy to change the polarity of the leads, good for testing diodes and capacitors.

I helped a friend of mine test a wall switch for a new flood light he had installed. When we were done, I thought he had installed it right, and it only didn't light because he'd forgotten to screw a bulb in, but he volunteered it was because of the 3 toggle switches next to each other, he'd forgotten which one controlled that light.

(At least we interchanged two of the switches so it was easier to remember which was which.)

emgrene had written this in response to

:

I d> I have a wall switch ths when tested shows low current flowing. I > changes

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You have a switch in the breaker box? Do you mean the breaker? If you suspect a bad breaker just move the wire to another breaker to test the circuit. If it works, replace the breaker an reconnect.

OTOH, if you don't know the name of the things in the box perhaps you should get some help.

The test lamp you have should work. With the switch off, take the tester and test one leg of the switch to the ground wire in the box.

The terminal at the "on" side of the switch will glow bright red. Then take the tester and test the terminal at the "off" side of the switch. It should not glow. Then turn the switch on. If everything is correct at the switch, the tester should glow at both terminals. Putting the tester on both leads at once might give you a slight glow. This would seem to you as if the "juice" were barely there.

If the switch checks out, you need to test the fixture with the switch in the "on" position.