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Bathroom light flickering when off

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  • 01-02-2021 8:24pm
    #1
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I have a bathroom with no windows and it has an extractor fan which is connected to the light.

    This evening the fan turned on without the light being on. I turned the light on and off again and the light began to pulse, varying in speed.

    Now the two options are to have the light and fan on constantly or turn it off at the switch and it is going on and off repeatedly, several times a second.

    As I understand it, there is a switched live and permanent live and neutral going into the fan. Could the permanent live be making contact at the light and causing it to turn on and off?

    It seems very rhythmic for it to be a loose connection, but what would happen if the permanent live were to be in the switched live port in the light itself?

    Thanks


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    #2
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Is it LED the light? Was it changed recently?

    So.e of these have a live that allows the fan to continue on timer after light is turned off! Is this the type, could well need replacing.

    Could well be loose connection too of course.


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    #3
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭Terrontress


    Yeah, the ceiling light is LED and I believe it was changed within the last year, but before my time.

    I have taken the light off its mount and there are two wires on the light, a brown and a blue. Into the brown goes a black and a yellow. Into the blue goes a black and a blue. And beside those going into the light are a series of red wires with the ends all bound together by tape.

    It all feels bone dry, although it is above a bath so there come be some moisture in there.

    My presumption is that the red wires are the permanent live and run along with the switched but don't do anything at the light fixture.

    If the switched live is separate from the permanent, how is it getting power to flash the light? Also, when I first became aware of the problem, the fan came on without any light. If the power was off, would that suggest a problem at the switch?

    Thanks for your response.


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    #4
    Malcomex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 294 ✭✭Malcomex


    Sounds like maybe a fault at the fan from your first post?


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    #5
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭Terrontress


    Update, I opened the switch and there was so much water in there that it poured down my arm. I’ve left it open to dry out. I’m not sure where the water can have come from. Maybe condensation. I’ve dried it off. If there’s a water source from above, it will get wet to the surface again.


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    #6
    Malcomex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 294 ✭✭Malcomex


    Terrontress wrote: »
    Update, I opened the switch and there was so much water in there that it poured down my arm. I’ve left it open to dry out. I’m not sure where the water can have come from. Maybe condensation. I’ve dried it off. If there’s a water source from above, it will get wet to the surface again.

    Ouch , be careful there there's a shock hazard

    You should be changing it and figure out where the waters coming from


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    #7
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Turn off the electrics to there, you are lucky you didn't shock yourself.

    You need to find where the water is coming from.

    Just a little bit of dampness from showers or bath wouldn't cause that, that's serious.


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    #8
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭Terrontress


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Turn off the electrics to there, you are lucky you didn't shock yourself.

    You need to find where the water is coming from.

    Just a little bit of dampness from showers or bath wouldn't cause that, that's serious.

    Oh yeah, I shut off all electricity and opened it by the light of a torch.

    I’ve dried off the switch and accessible cabling with a towel.

    I’ve turned off the breaker for the lighting circuit before turning the power back on.

    Let’s give it 24-48 hours and see if it gets wet again. If so, I’ll go after the source of the water. If not, I’ll put it all back together and see what happens.


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