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Subject Author Date
replacing bathroom light fixture davery5872 05-29-2006
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Posted by on May 29, 2006, 12:29 pm
I hope someone might be able to help me with problem that happened
tonight. I am renovating a bathroom in a 40 year old house and was
replacing the light fixture when the circuit for the master bath and
bedroom went off. I only had the switch off, not the entire circuit. At
the exact moment it went out I was removing the light's mounting plate
from the wall and had pulled slightly on the two wires coming out of
the wall. All my circuits are not labled (I know, what a stupid thing
to admit). I can't really find which circuit is the master bedroom and
bath. I tried switching the breakers on and off and seeing if anything
went out. I found two circuits that did not appear to switch anything
on/off. I replaced them, but no luck. I talked with an electrician
and he mentioned that I might have created a short in the light switch.
Should I replace the light switch? How about the wire from the switch
to the light? All circuits are on now, and there is no power in the
master bedroom and bath. If there was a short wouldn't it trip the
breaker? Any suggestions?


Posted by John Grabowski on May 29, 2006, 12:53 pm

> I hope someone might be able to help me with problem that happened
> tonight. I am renovating a bathroom in a 40 year old house and was
> replacing the light fixture when the circuit for the master bath and
> bedroom went off. I only had the switch off, not the entire circuit. At
> the exact moment it went out I was removing the light's mounting plate
> from the wall and had pulled slightly on the two wires coming out of
> the wall. All my circuits are not labled (I know, what a stupid thing
> to admit). I can't really find which circuit is the master bedroom and
> bath. I tried switching the breakers on and off and seeing if anything
> went out. I found two circuits that did not appear to switch anything
> on/off. I replaced them, but no luck. I talked with an electrician
> and he mentioned that I might have created a short in the light switch.
> Should I replace the light switch? How about the wire from the switch
> to the light? All circuits are on now, and there is no power in the
> master bedroom and bath. If there was a short wouldn't it trip the
> breaker? Any suggestions?
>

Are there any other wires inside of the box for the bath light fixture? If
so, you may have disturbed a splice that feeds the entire circuit. It is
possible that somewhere else in the wall is another outlet or junction box
that was disturbed and the splices became loose. Open up the switch box and
check the splices there. In a 40 year old house, there could be some wiring
surprises that may have surfaced now that you are remodeling.


Posted by RBM on May 29, 2006, 1:27 pm
To add to what John said, there are probably more wires in the wall light
outlet box then just the two for the fixture. Since the problem occurred as
you pulled on them, you probably pulled a splice apart. Keep in mind the
power is back on now, so be careful if you attempt to find and fix the
problem



>I hope someone might be able to help me with problem that happened
> tonight. I am renovating a bathroom in a 40 year old house and was
> replacing the light fixture when the circuit for the master bath and
> bedroom went off. I only had the switch off, not the entire circuit. At
> the exact moment it went out I was removing the light's mounting plate
> from the wall and had pulled slightly on the two wires coming out of
> the wall. All my circuits are not labled (I know, what a stupid thing
> to admit). I can't really find which circuit is the master bedroom and
> bath. I tried switching the breakers on and off and seeing if anything
> went out. I found two circuits that did not appear to switch anything
> on/off. I replaced them, but no luck. I talked with an electrician
> and he mentioned that I might have created a short in the light switch.
> Should I replace the light switch? How about the wire from the switch
> to the light? All circuits are on now, and there is no power in the
> master bedroom and bath. If there was a short wouldn't it trip the
> breaker? Any suggestions?
>



Posted by JGolan on May 29, 2006, 4:53 pm
It may be wired through the GFI outlet in the bathroom, check to see if
the GFI has tripped. (Hint the GFI may be at any point in the bathroom
or even a second bathroom)


Posted by on May 29, 2006, 10:27 pm
There is no junction box, the light was attached to a stud. There is a
GFI near the fixture. I bought a $2 tester and tested the circuit
breakers. They seem to be OK. Could there be a junction box somewhere
else that I disturbed? Could the light be run thru the GFI? Could the
GFI disrupt the entire circuit? Thanks for your help.


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