Why are there often no ceiling light fixtures in US apartments/houses?
From my experience I don’t believe this has anything to do with environmental concerns, like saving electricity or structural issues, like concrete ceilings that can’t have electrical wiring easily run through them. In CA, it would be a lot harder to prove compatibility with Title 24 lighting requirements if you tried to put “switched wall outlets” in the plans because they would want to force the light to be on a dimmer, but you can’t prove that with a switched outlet. And in central California, almost every apartment complex is conventionally framed and under 3-stories… so running ceiling light fixture circuits would be easy. So what else could be the reason?I have two theories as to why this phenomenon is so common here in central CA.Cost: People who build apartment complexes ALWAYS build them to make money. By not installing ceiling light fixtures and instead using switched wall outlets so that renters must light their apartments using lamps, the landlords and investors are saving themselves money on the initial construction of the building. Not only do they not have to buy and install the fixtures themselves, but don’t have the cost of the wiring and circuits that would be required. But, it doesn’t just save them money when they initially build the complex, but over the years they save money because the renters must supply their own lamps. They don’t have to worry about replacing outdated or broken light fixtures throughout the years and it allows them to put more responsibility on the renters.Style: This is related to the fact that renters must supply their own lamps. I think landlords like apartments to have interiors that are stylistically neutral so that a potential renter can decorate however they want. It is easier to attract renters if they aren’t forced into style choices by the existing interior design. So, by removing light fixtures from the equation they are making the style a little more generic so that renters can establish their own style by bringing in their own floor lamp light fixtures. I am not as sure about this theory, though, and think the previous reason of the landlords saving themselves money is more valid because landlords are notoriously cheap.
Does a motion sensor light fixture take a special bulb?
Some motion sensors trickle a small amount of current through the bulb to power the sensor. These may not work with some types of bulbs (compact fluorescent bulbs, for example); although usually it won't turn on rather than not turning off. Try it with ordinary incandescent bulbs; that may tell if you if you have a bulb problem or a sensor problem.
Why is my outside light fixture not working? How can I replace it?
As in tech support there's a cadence to this. Simple to more difficultStep 1. Try a new bulbStep 2. Check your breaker, if its off, switch it back on. If it flips back off you might have a short. That will be addressed in the next stepsStep 3. Shut off breakerStep 4. Disassemble light fixture. Most of the time it's either thumb screws or standard/Phillips screws.Step 5. Examine screw base where bulb goes in for burns. Check wiring for loose nuts or burns. Tighten wire nuts as good practice. If wiring is burnt you'll want to replace the lines and use new nuts. If the porcelain/plastic screw socket base is burnt or looks worn/loose pick up a new one and replace it before reassembling the unit. Loose nuts or exposed wires making contact in tight spaces will cause a short. Some fixtures don't make it easy to replace a socket, due to rivets or welding/solder. Those may be a lost cause if you're not skilled with rivets or welding.Step 6. Turn breaker back onStep 7. If that doesn't work either the fixture has had it or there might be a loose or disconnected wire at the switch. So turn the breaker back offStep 8. Open switch cover plateStep 9. Check wiring to switch, check for burns and tighten screws. Switch will likely have brass screws and a green ground. It can either be screwed tight to the side or pushed through the back of the switch. If burns exist on wire replace the wire. If on the switch replace the switchStep 10. Replace cover and turn breaker back on.Step 11. If those don't fix the issue it may be a behind-the-wall issue. If the breaker controls more than that switch and those aren't working either than the breaker is at fault. If you don't feel comfortable working with replacing that then it's time to call an electrician.
Why don't LED bulbs work with AC current?
This is not true. LED bulbs do work with AC. Look around you. Except for fluorescent tubes, almost all lights now either use LED bulbs, or the light fixtures have built-in LEDs, and they are all working on AC power.This is because the bulbs or the fixtures have built-in full wave bridge rectifiers. Most also have filters so the lights don’t flicker.Or are you asking about the individual LED components? Light Emitting Diodes are diodes, which only conduct current in one direction.In some cases, you can connect an LED to AC, and it will conduct on the positive half cycles. i.e. it will self-rectify. But it will flicker at 50/60Hz.
When replacing a light fixture, do I have to turn off the power to the house?
Yes it's that simple, how do you tell which switch, turn each breaker off till that light fixture goes off, then leave it off replace if you know how. Now that's simple if it turns out you don't know as much as you thought you did, and you sound like you do, then don't go any further call and electrician. Because it's simple and if you have problems then you don't know enough. lol didn't know there were so many answers and the last one was good too, I wouldn't have bothered:)
I installed a new light fixture successfully, but the wall switch doesn't work, and as a result the light is always on. What should I do?
You are obviously not an electrician but I am and in fact have been a licenses Electrical contractor. Here is what I think. you have not crossed two wires otherwise you would be experiencing a short and you would know it if you were.Sound like one of two possibilities to me. Either your switch is defective or you have tied the hot with and your switch leg together somewhere that is causing the light bulb to always be on. Turn your electrical power off and if you can identify the circuit breaker that feeds that particular area or room so much the better. You will only have to turn that one circuit breaker off. Then unfasten the switch plate and remove it, Unfasten the switch from its mounting and pull it outward without breaking any of the wires. Separate all wires from the pole connections and remove the switch completely. make sure your neutral wires are away from any black, hot , or switch leg wires. Cap off all wires and turn your circuit breaker on again or power back on. If the light bulb is out then your problem is definitely located in the switch box area. buy a new switch, they should be fairly inexpensive. You will notice the switch has two poles or two screws to fasten wires to. Take one black wire and connect to to one screw, tighten that screw and take the other wire and fasten to the switch in like manner. Your light bulb should still be out. hopefully you have remembered to keep the power off all the time you are working with any wires, Its a very good idea if you wear some kind of rubber gloves even dish washing gloves are better than nothing an inexpensive. Once you are sure you have remade all of your connections turn the power back one then test to see if your switch will perform normally to turn the light on and off. If so cut your power off again and mount everything back into the switch box and install your switch cover, reset your power and retest your switch, that should do it. Other than that i would recommend you call an electrician to solve your problem for you.
Do all fluorescent lights have starters?
Starters, as a separate component, are only used with magnetic (inductor) ballasts. Every fluorescent light has to have some way to start the lamp, either by preheating the cathodes or by applying a voltage high enough to start the lamp cold, but with electronic ballasts this functionality is built into the ballast itself, so there is no separate starter component.There are also some manual-start fluorescent lamps, mostly desk lamps, where you have to do the work of the starter yourself, by holding down the power switch to apply power to the filaments. When you let go, if you held the button down long enough to sufficiently heat the cathodes, the lamp starts. There is a separate “off” button that interrupts the circuit for long enough that the tube cools down and doesn’t relight when you let go.
One color on multi color christmas lights doesn't work?
Just take them back, the lights a warrantied from defects. If you already put them up, your going to take them down anyway to diagnose the problem. Save yourself some time and frustration and just take them back for a replacement. If you really want to DO IT YOURSELF you need to start at the plug, and check each connection along the strand, be sure to get your magnifying glass ad flashlight out so you can see in the tight spaces inside and outside of each bulb receiver. Since the bulbs are not wired in chain you will have a long tedious process of finding the culprit connection or connections, and that's the easy part you then need to mend the breaks while keeping the + and - separate.
Is it safe to change a light fixture without turning off the power?
Usually it is safe with the switch off. Assuming some other untrained DIY person installed the switch correctly. A voltmeter would tell you for sure. If you are not grounded, you will not be shocked. Stand on a wood ladder or chair. Touch only the insulated part of the wires. Don't let the wires touch each other except when making the connections. Don't touch a wire and a metal box or ground wire at the same time. Thick rubber gloves are almost impossible to do this work with.