Lighting Faults | Electrical Excellence

Lighting Faults

We have put together some handy tips to help you fault find if you are having problems with your lights:

Lights not turning on

Lights not turning off

Lights flashing on and off

Flickering Fluroscent lights

Bulbs burning out too quickly

Lights Not Turning On

You might want to check the following before calling an Electrician:

  • Is there a power outage? Call Energex on 13 62 62 to hear the recorded voice recording of issues in your area as well as estimated repair times. 
  • Replace the light bulb. You can even try using a light bulb from another fixture which you already know works. Remember to turn the light switch off before changing bulbs to reduce the risk of electrocution.
  • Check the light fixture to see if there is any visible damage as the light fixture may need replacing. 
  • Check to see if there are any other lights which aren’t working and whether they are on the same lighting circuit. Perhaps something has tripped the circuit and this may need to be investigated further. (Follow the  Safety Switch Page instructions)
  • If there is a time clock on the light, check to see that it is set for the correct time. It could also be that the time clock requires replacing.
  • If the light fixture is activated by a photo-cell, the photo-cell is either out of adjustment or broken.

Lights Not Turning Off

You might want to check the following before calling an Electrician:

  • If there is a time clock on the light, check to see that it is set for the correct time. It could also be that the time clock requires replacing.
  • If the light fixture is activated by a photo-cell, the photo-cell is either out of adjustment or broken.

Lights Flashing On And Off

You might want to check the following before calling an Electrician:

  • The photo cell may be out of adjustment
  • Some recessed lights have a built-in thermal protector that automatically shuts off the light when the fixture gets too hot. Make sure that the fixture has cooled down and try replacing the bulb with one which uses a lower wattage.
Flickering Fluorescent Lights

You might want to check the following before calling an Electrician:

  •  Especially on cold days, fluorescent bulbs may take a little while to warm up and flicker longer than normal.
  • Replace the bulbs and starters. You can even try using a light bulb from another fixture which you already know works. Remember to turn the light switch off before changing bulbs to reduce the risk of electrocution. Note: you know that the tubes are ready to be replaced if they have gone black.

Bulbs Burning Out Too Quickly

You might want to check the following before calling an Electrician:

  • Try a higher quality light bulb.