Light comes on?

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kjw444

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detroit, mi
Went on a service call for a house I roughed about two years ago, front post light out, bathroom lights come on. Ok? Start with the post lamp, no problem covered photocell checked for voltage at the socket, its all good. Bad bulbs. On to the bathroom can light in the shower, she tells me I don't know, it will just all of a sudden come on? Ok. Try to assure that it's not the opposite. Check all splices they are fine. Check the decora switch seems fine. I sit there with the switch off hoping the problem may arise, nope. Change the switch thinking it may not be seated right and sits in the middle and maybe after some wall vibrations it pops on? I have no clue anyone have a similar experience?
 
it will be incredibly hard to troubleshoot the problem if the problem does not happen when you are there. If you can't find anything, I would tell her to write down all the conditions of whatever when it comes on. Like the time, what else she has on in the bathroom, stuff like that. Dunno if it would help, but its not like you can sit there for 5 hours and see if the light will just "come on".
 
kjw444 said:
Went on a service call for a house I roughed about two years ago, front post light out, bathroom lights come on. Ok? Start with the post lamp, no problem covered photocell checked for voltage at the socket, its all good. Bad bulbs. On to the bathroom can light in the shower, she tells me I don't know, it will just all of a sudden come on? Ok. Try to assure that it's not the opposite. Check all splices they are fine. Check the decora switch seems fine. I sit there with the switch off hoping the problem may arise, nope. Change the switch thinking it may not be seated right and sits in the middle and maybe after some wall vibrations it pops on? I have no clue anyone have a similar experience?
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possibly bulb not screwed tight into socket, or broken filiment that may vibrate when people are walking around closing doors and such (with switch left in the on position) but my money is on the customer is a complete idiot, :grin: I have had customers tell me all kinds of crazy stuff that there is no way possible it could be doing what they claim....
 
Check the tab that in the center of the light socket to make sure it's bent up. If it's been pressed flat, it may not be makiing good contact with the bulb.
 
I think what you have here is a common wiring error. You accidentally wired the bathroom light in through the front post light photocell. Happens all the time.
 
mdshunk said:
I think what you have here is a common wiring error. You accidentally wired the bathroom light in through the front post light photocell. Happens all the time.
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and you would know that if she documents everytime it happens. Thus, only at night, and it stays on tillllll.................. sun up!
 
ultramegabob said:
possibly bulb not screwed tight into socket, or broken filiment that may vibrate when people are walking around closing doors and such (with switch left in the on position) but my money is on the customer is a complete idiot, :grin: I have had customers tell me all kinds of crazy stuff that there is no way possible it could be doing what they claim....
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I have argued with customers with crazy complaints that you knew were inpossible. And ended up with egg on my face. I find that folks usually know something is wrong.
 
Iv'e heard of doors slamming and the lights come on. Quite a few years ago we had some issues with some decora 4-way switches that would act like that. Try a different style and manufactures switch.
 
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