I recently tried to install a new light fixture in my leisure room
ceiling.  I connected the lighting fixture black wire with the red
ceiling wire and white on white wire.  I then attacted the two ground
wires together.  I didn't realize that I connected the wrong wires
together until after I turned on the power and heard the light bulb
make a pop sound and nothing happened.  I shut the switch off and the
power.  I then decided to place a ceiling fan in the fixture instead
of the light.  Upon wiring the ceiling fan to the same fixture (and
wired correctly) and turning back on the power--nothing happened.  I
double checked the wires and they were correctly connected.  Is it
possible that the switch was blown?  I really don't understand how to
fix the problem.  What is your suggestion?

There is still power to all the other electrical outlets in the room. 
It is just the ceiling light fixture that appears to be the problem.



Donald W Brown
Electrically troubled

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 23 May 2004 21:42 PDT

downtown21...

Room outlets are sometimes on a different breaker than ceiling
fixtures. You don't say that you've checked the breakers, which
would be an obvious thing to do.

And, yes, it's possible the switch was burned up.

sublime1-ga

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Clarification of Question by downtown21-ga on 24 May 2004 15:28 PDT

Yes, the breaker box switch was turned off when I connected the wires
to the ceiling fixture.  The switch controled the power to all the
electrical outlets in that room and an adjacent room.  As stated
earlier, all of the electrical outlets and fixtures work except the
one I accidentily miss wired.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 24 May 2004 15:37 PDT

Donald...

Given what you've said, I'd bet it is the switch that
burned out. You can test this, if you're comfortable
handling live wires, by removing the switch from the
wall and bypassing it long enough to see if the fan
turns. If you're not comfortable with live wires, you
can shut off the breaker and remove the switch from
the circuit - just hooking the wires together without
it - and then turn the breaker back on long enough
to see if the fan works.

I'm also assuming that you've played with the switch
on the ceiling fan. It's usually a 3-way switch with
a pull-chain attached to it, and I'm assuming you
pulled the chain a few times to make sure it wasn't
in the 'off' position when you tested it.

Let me know...

sublime1-ga