Lights stopped working

[Mnorow]

A bunch of lights went out, but no breakers are tripped.

One of the lights is on a dimmer, the rest have no switches (only chains).

I tested all the breakers with a voltage tester, all seem to be working.

The lights randomly go back on, and then go off again after a few minutes. (I think they all go off as soon as I touch the switch, though that could be a coincidence.)

I pulled out the dimmer switch, tried connecting the two wires (they are black and white) and still nothing.

I noticed that if I touch either wire to the switch box, everything works. Voltage tester shows 120V between either wire and the box.

Any ideas what's going on here?

 

[westward10]

You need to take the dimmer switch out of the equation to eliminate it as being faulty. Connect the two wires at it directly together and see if it still does it.

 

[Mnorow]

You need to take the dimmer switch out of the equation to eliminate it as being faulty. Connect the two wires at it directly together and see if it still does it.

I removed the dimmer switch and connected the two wires. Nothing

 

[westward10]

Working or still not working.

 

[Mnorow]

Not sure I understand the difference

 

[Mnorow]

Sorry I misread. Still not working

 

[westward10]

Are there any wire nuts in the back box and is the dimmer the only switch at that outlet.

 

[westward10]

Sorry I misread. Still not working

To be fair I probably edited as you were posting?

 

[Mnorow]

Are there any wire nuts in the back box and is the dimmer the only switch at that outlet.

Here's a picture with the dimmer pulled out, still connected. There were wire nuts, removed in this picture. Dimmer is the only switch there.

 

[westward10]

So you have connected the white and black together with the dimmer removed and still no lights.

 

[Mnorow]

So you have connected the white and black together with the dimmer removed and still no lights.

I might have just connected the wires with the dimmer still connected. I don't remember. I figured if it completes the circuit it shouldn't make a difference that the dimmer is there. But if you think it might make a difference I'll try again later when I get home.

 

[Mnorow]

I'm confused about the part where I touch a wire to the box and then everything works. Does that mean the box is hot?

 

[westward10]

If the box is grounded then touching a hot to it should trip the breaker not make the lights work. How many lights does the dimmer control.

 

[Mnorow]

If the box is grounded then touching a hot to it should trip the breaker not make the lights work. How many lights does the dimmer control.

Just one light controlled by the dimmer

 

[westward10]

Your wiring looks like the hot feed goes to the light first so is it possible to look at the wiring there. Isolate power first.