We’ve all experienced a moment of confusion when some lights in our home won’t turn on, but other outlets or power points are working just fine. That moment wondering “why are my lights not working but my power points are?” can be especially perplexing if you’re not familiar with electricity and how it works. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the likely culprits behind this type of electrical issue and how to go about finding the solution.
Troubleshooting
There could be a number of reasons your lights aren’t working but your power points are:
Your Switchboard
The first thing to do is check your home’s switchboard. The switchboard contains the necessary safety switches and circuit breakers for your home and is usually located at the front of a house, or in the laundry of an apartment. If any of the switches have tripped, simply reset them and see if that solves the problem.
Circuit Overload
Check you don’t have too many appliances plugged into one power point. One of the common causes of lights not working is an overload of circuits. This happens when too many appliances are connected to one circuit, which means not enough current is available for each appliance or light fixture. The result is either dim lighting or no lighting whatsoever.
Faulty Switches Or Bulbs
The issue could also be due to faulty switches or bulbs. Check if any of the bulbs have blown, use a different bulb to see if it works in that particular socket. If it does, the bulb was faulty and needs to be replaced. If not, you may need to have the switch replaced.
Dimmer Switches
If you’ve installed dimmer switches recently and they’re having technical issues, this may also cause problems with your lights not working as expected – depending on how much electricity they draw from each light fixture and whether they are compatible with LED lights or CFL bulbs (which require different types of dimmers).
Damaged Wiring
Finally, it could also be due to damaged wiring in between switches and light fixtures. You could have a loose wire in your lighting switch plate cover or wall box. Over time these wires can become loose due to vibration from opening and closing doors, or simply because they were not secured properly when originally installed.
Damaged wiring inside your wall cavities can also go unnoticed for a long time (such as when rodents chew through wires). If this has happened in more than one location around your house, then you should call an experienced electrician who can troubleshoot and repair any electrical problems safely and quickly so that your lights work properly again.
Get Your Lights Working Again
If you are experiencing problems with your lights, it is important to contact a professional electrician. ANE Electrical Solutions can help you get your lighting back up and running in no time. We have years of experience diagnosing and repairing electrical problems in homes and businesses across the South Coast region. Contact us today for a free consultation or call 1300 107 229.
