Help - lights in garage not working

[RichTbiscuit]

Afternoon folks,

Came home from work last night and found interior garage lights not working. Found the breaker had tripped. Switched it back on, still no lights. Everything else working fine, plugs etc.

I have 4 strip lights in the garage, two monster ones that must be about 4 ft long and 2 smaller ones. Nothing is working at all. Short of getting up on a ladder (very tall roof) and changing every bulb anyone have an idea what could be wrong?

As you can tell im clueless about this leccy business.

Cheers

rich.

[5potTurbo]

Fluorescent tubes?

It could simply be the starters for the tubes, which are easier and cheaper to replace, IIRC.
The starters are usually screwed in the side (length) of the fluo tube "carrier", look like a white plastic grub wheel, approx. 2-3cm in diameter.
Sometimes unscrewing them and then putting them back in can work too.... worth a go?

[oOTomOo]

If a starter fails the tube usually lights up very dimly but doesn't fully arc, or flickers a lot.

If all 4 have stopped working at the same time I'd be ruling out the lights as a fault.

If the breaker had gone that can indicates something a bit more sinister. You say the plugs are working - are these wired up on the same fuse? It's not unusual to have sockets and lights on different circuits. But a garage may not be wired up like this.

If the cables are exposed I'd be checking them for signs of damage - mice, squirrels etc..

[Busamav]

If the breaker you reset is in the garage , check there isnt another control within the main board of the house

[RichTbiscuit]

Yeah, the breaker going led me to think, oh hey one of the bulbs went. But the fact that none of the others is turning on at all is a bit strange. Guess i'll have to go out and get a few new bulbs :/

[cpas]

RichTbiscuit said:

Afternoon folks,

Came home from work last night and found interior garage lights not working. Found the breaker had tripped. Switched it back on, still no lights. Everything else working fine, plugs etc.

I have 4 strip lights in the garage, two monster ones that must be about 4 ft long and 2 smaller ones. Nothing is working at all. Short of getting up on a ladder (very tall roof) and changing every bulb anyone have an idea what could be wrong?

As you can tell im clueless about this leccy business.

Cheers

rich.

Had the main switch (RCD) tripped or the individual circuit breaker? The lights should be wired through a completely seperate circuit, but if you only have one circuit breaker, then they may be wired through a seperate 5A fused spur (looks like a light switch box but with a small plate screwed on to hold the fuse in). It may be that a feed wire has come loose inside the main fuse box or inside a junction box somewhere, of indeed inside the switch (be careful, both wires are live!!) - but it is very unlikely to be a fault with the lights. The way a garage is wired (exposed wiring)it should be fairly easy to trace the wiring back from the lights to the fuse board (via any junction boxes).

[eps]

You have checked the fuse in the breaker for the lights?? Surely it's this that has gone. All four bulbs at the same time? Unlikely.

[netherfield]

Duff switch,chewed or damaged wiring,no power in the circuit because of dodgy/dud breaker/fuse.

You need some test equipment and someone who knows how to use it.

As above,very unlikely all 4 lamps popped at the same time.

[PH5121]

Your garage lights could be spurred off the power circuit via a fused connection unit. If the fuse in this has ruptured then that could explain your lack of lighting.

[RichB]

RichTbiscuit said:

Guess i'll have to go out and get a few new bulbs :/

Well you be wasting your money, time and effort if you do that becuase although I can't tell you what's wring I can tell you it's not the bulbs.

[Ganglandboss]

RichTbiscuit said:

Afternoon folks,

Came home from work last night and found interior garage lights not working. Found the breaker had tripped. Switched it back on, still no lights. Everything else working fine, plugs etc.

I have 4 strip lights in the garage, two monster ones that must be about 4 ft long and 2 smaller ones. Nothing is working at all. Short of getting up on a ladder (very tall roof) and changing every bulb anyone have an idea what could be wrong?

As you can tell im clueless about this leccy business.

Cheers

rich.

If you've tried the breakers (I assume you have checked them all including RCD and MCBs) and as others have said, checked whether the lights are on a fused spur off a socket circuit and replaced the fuse, I recommend you get a spark in if you have had no joy. You cannot safely diagnose the fault on an internet forum.