I have an electrical problem. I have power at my light switch and fixtures, but when I put a light bulb in the socket the power is no longer there. If I take the bulb out and power is back.
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Dear Kimeo
A voltage reading on a digital instrument does not necessarily mean that there is real power there. If you still read the same voltage when a load is connected, THEN you have proper connections.
Most likely you have either wires mixed up or a broken wire somewhere or a badly corroded connection. A totally corroded connection lets enough electricity flow through it to show on a digital meter, but not enough to light up a lightbulb.
Use an electrician's test light or a trouble light or a table lamp connected with insulated alligator jumpers to your meter leads. Start at the malfunctioning light and test every access point all the ay back to the breaker until you find a spot where the test light comes on and the voltage reads 110 or more Volts while the light is lit. The problem will be at that spot or immediately downstream from it.
Good Luck
DearWebby
webby.com/
I had the same problem with a set of 6 outdoor fixtures set atop masonry columns at the end of a driveway. We checked voltage at all splices and ensured that there were no broken wires or short circuits. Everything checks out, 120v at each point until we reconnect the fixtures and screw in a bulb in any of the sockets. I tested each point with a small load of my 18v battery charger to see if the problem was repeated but the charger worked fine.
I had the same problem with a set of 6 outdoor fixtures set atop masonry columns at the end of a driveway. We checked voltage at all splices and ensured that there were no broken wires or short circuits. Everything checks out, 120v at each point until we reconnect the fixtures and screw in a bulb in any of the sockets. I tested each point with a small load of my 18v battery charger to see if the problem was repeated but the charger worked fine.
Bad switch
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