My husband and I are first time home owners with minimal DIY skills. A couple of weeks ago, the wall switch to our combination ceiling fan/light started sparking when we turned it on. The lights (the coiled, long lasting kind of bulbs,not incandescent) would pop on and off before turning on and staying lit. The fan would work with no apparent problem. Within about a week, the bulbs wouldn't come back on after their initial pop of light, but the fan still worked fine. Now, neither the fan nor the lights will come on at all. My husband has replaced the switch in the fan/light unit, and has checked the connections in the wall socket but neither action has made a difference. Is there something else we can try, should we buy a new fan, or do we need to call in an electrician?

An electrician may check under the canopy connections with power off.

One other thought, does your home have copper or aluminum wiring?