![]() ![]() If items 8 and 9 pass the test, replace the socket. If the tester lights up, the socket is ok if not, it could be a bad socket, a loose (or fried) wire en route to the socket, or a bad wall switch. You can test a socket for power with a $3 circuit tester: With the power to the fixture on, touch one tester probe to the metal socket tab and the other to the threaded metal sleeve that the bulb screws into. Move the cord and/or fixture into a range of contortions (get creative!) to see if the light goes on even for a moment. Cordīoth plug-in lamp cords and cords that tether hanging fixtures can come loose from the socket terminals, the internal fixture wiring, or the plug terminals. Turn off the power to the fixture's circuit at the service panel, remove the fixture, and replace the switch with a matching part (provided you're familiar with basic wiring). If the switch has felt funny recently or failed to turn the light on or off occasionally, it's probably a bad switch. Pull-chain switches on mounted fixtures tend to fail before other parts. You might have to replace the cord, too, if the copper wiring is damaged. If you sense anything amiss, replace the switch with a matching part (just follow the manufacturer's directions). If the fixture is a lamp with an in-line switch (the kind with a wheel or toggle inside a little plastic case that clamps onto the cord), fiddle around with the switch and listen for any buzzing or other abnormal sound when you turn the wheel. Now that the easiest tests have failed, it's time to focus on the wiring. These can get pressed in so far that they no longer touch the bulb's electrical contact. If a new bulb doesn't work, turn off the switch or pull the plug (turn off the power, that is), and try bending up the little metal tab inside the bulb socket. And if the old one is a CFL (compact fluorescent), don't spend much time thinking, "It can't be the bulb they're supposed to last 10 years." Some of them don't last 10 months. Light bulbīefore you replace the existing bulb, give it a twist and a jiggle - sometimes that works. Is anything else in the room failing to turn on? If so, check your service panel (breaker/fuse box) for a tripped breaker or blown fuse. Not to suggest that you're a dim bulb (pun intended), but have you made sure the fixture is plugged in and/or the switch is on? 2. (Tip: There's a better-than-90% chance you won't have to go past item 4.) 1. Check the following items in the order given here. It's probably not that your fixture is trying to get back at you or receive negative attention (so you can rule out spite), and chances are it's something you can remedy without having to call an electrician. But what happens when a trusty fixture suddenly fails to light our way? Is it a bad bulb? Is it a wiring problem? Is it spite? Thanks to their wonderful reliability, we all take light fixtures for granted and unthinkingly rely on their comforting glow whenever we need it, day or night.
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