dead wires for outside light

[JRtauntonMA]

Hello. We bought a 1966 house recently. 1 outside light at our side door was old/broken so I bought a replacement. Before removing the light I used a voltage tester so I’d know which breaker to shut off. That didn’t work. I unscrewed the fixture from the wall, and found the light wired and capped as it should be to wires in the wall.

I used 2 different voltage detectors, nothing.

I removed the caps and tried the detectors – nothing.

I don’t know what breaker this fixture should be on, but all breakers were on when I disconnected the wires. I don’t know how to trace the wires in the wall and I don’t know how to get power to this light fixture. The light is at a door for a breezeway and garage that was added on in 2008.

All other add on lights and outlets work just fine.

This one light that we need at night has no power and I have no idea why.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thank you for your time!

JR

 

[Deleted account]

It’s probably on either a switch or fused switch inside the house somewhere. You just haven’t found or noticed it. Have a good look around.
it may be in a cupboard under the stairs or somewhere like that.

 

[James]

Could be from a light switch next to the door?

 

[Megawatt]

Hello. We bought a 1966 house recently. 1 outside light at our side door was old/broken so I bought a replacement. Before removing the light I used a voltage tester so I’d know which breaker to shut off. That didn’t work. I unscrewed the fixture from the wall, and found the light wired and capped as it should be to wires in the wall.

I used 2 different voltage detectors, nothing.

I removed the caps and tried the detectors – nothing.

I don’t know what breaker this fixture should be on, but all breakers were on when I disconnected the wires. I don’t know how to trace the wires in the wall and I don’t know how to get power to this light fixture. The light is at a door for a breezeway and garage that was added on in 2008.

All other add on lights and outlets work just fine.

This one light that we need at night has no power and I have no idea why.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thank you for your time!

JR

It could be made up and have GFCI protection which could be tripped

 

[JRtauntonMA]

Could be from a light switch next to the door?

I tried every switch I could find. thank you!

 

[telectrix]

 

[Megawatt]

It could be made up and have GFCI protection which could be tripped

Could it be just a flood light with no switch which just comes on from dusk to dawn. Try changing the bulb, and if that don’t work change the photo cell. Good luck

 

[JRtauntonMA]

that's just plain funny, thanks!!

 

[JRtauntonMA]

Could be from a light switch next to the door?

I've gone all around the house & garage checking switches. really makes no sense to me now, but IF I figure this out I hope it's a "duhhhh" moment. thanks for your time!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

There's a strong possibility of a broken connection. If all the other lights and outlets work then this fixture is likely to be at the end of the run and the break might be in the next-to-last fitting that is itself working. Of course it could equally be in a hidden joint box or a damaged cable, but I would check other nearby fittings first for a wire broken free from its wirenut or similar problem.

If that fails, then with suitable test equipment it is sometimes possible to trace approximately the run of cable using a tone generator and search coil. That would at least show where it is supposed to be getting power from. Not much help if it is broken somewhere completely inaccessible. Then it is a question of whether it is easier to fix the problem or just run a new feed.

 

[JRtauntonMA]

There's a strong possibility of a broken connection. If all the other lights and outlets work then this fixture is likely to be at the end of the run and the break might be in the next-to-last fitting that is itself working. Of course it could equally be in a hidden joint box or a damaged cable, but I would check other nearby fittings first for a wire broken free from its wirenut or similar problem.

If that fails, then with suitable test equipment it is sometimes possible to trace approximately the run of cable using a tone generator and search coil. That would at least show where it is supposed to be getting power from. Not much help if it is broken somewhere completely inaccessible. Then it is a question of whether it is easier to fix the problem or just run a new feed.

thank you, I'll give this a go, as far as I can go with it at least

 

[Megawatt]

Hello. We bought a 1966 house recently. 1 outside light at our side door was old/broken so I bought a replacement. Before removing the light I used a voltage tester so I’d know which breaker to shut off. That didn’t work. I unscrewed the fixture from the wall, and found the light wired and capped as it should be to wires in the wall.

I used 2 different voltage detectors, nothing.

I removed the caps and tried the detectors – nothing.

I don’t know what breaker this fixture should be on, but all breakers were on when I disconnected the wires. I don’t know how to trace the wires in the wall and I don’t know how to get power to this light fixture. The light is at a door for a breezeway and garage that was added on in 2008.

All other add on lights and outlets work just fine.

This one light that we need at night has no power and I have no idea why.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thank you for your time!

JR

Again it’s not unusual for the outside flood lights to not have a switch, especially if the setting is dawn to dusk and you use your breaker as a disconnect so you can work on it