The Light fixture in my upstairs bathroom went out over night. I've changed one of the bulbs to no effect. I pulled off the switch and applied a circuit tester (just a bare bulb socket with two wires) to the wires going into the switch and the bulb didn't light.

However there doesn't appear to be anything else out. There is a circuit on the board that is popped, but it appears to be part of a two circuit breaker (there are two switches and two wires going in. So should I change out that breaker? Should I replace it with the same type of breaker or can I replace it with 2 separate 20 amp breakers?

Should I try testing the wires in the fixture first?

If you used the bare bulb socket with the two wires and touched them to the wires on the switch then the bulb would not! Light anyway. One of the wires has to be touching the neutral/white wire and the other wire touching one of the wires on the switch for the bulb to light. Remove the light fixture and connect the bare bulb socket with the two wires to the black and white wires where you removed the light and turn your light switch on. If you have power to it the light bulb should light.

I actually removed the wires from the switch before using the bulb socket. But I'll try from the fixture in the morning.

The bulb in the testor will light when touched to the wires of the switch only if there are good bulbs in the light fixture and the wires are disconnected from the switch or the switch is in the off position, Better to test between switch wires and the neutral or the ground.
The double breaker could be a 240V cirduit or it could be two 120v circuits sharing a neutral, meaning that the tripped circuit could be the one to the light. No reason to replace it. Reset by turning off and then turning back on. Then test circuit at the switch.

If breaker trips again after reseting you will have to begin looking for the reason.

The breaker switch won't stay. It doesn't even click, it just pops back to when I try to flip it. I'll let you know after I test the wires in the fixture.

If the breaker trips to off, when you try to turn it on, it may be tripping due to a short circuit.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

If the breaker trips to off, when you try to turn it on, it may be tripping due to a short circuit.

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So how do I track this short circuit? If I disconnect the fixture should I then try to reset the breaker? Do I just leave the wires into the fixture unconnected?

First the breaker should be checked to determine if the breaker is tripping due to a short or is defective. The panel needs to be opened, disconnect the wire, and turn the breaker on, to see if it remains on, and check for power at the terminal. This will confirm or deny that that breaker is working.

If the breaker truly is working with no wire connected, then there is a short. Here is where it gets difficult looking for the needle in the haystack.

Since the problem started at the closet light, then leave the switch off and try the breaker. If the breaker trips when the switch is turned on, then the light fixture itself may be shorted.

Disconnect the wires from the light, and try the process again, leave switch off, rest breaker, breaker should hold, turn switch on, breaker should hold, proving the light fixture was the cause.


Lets try all of this first, if you get nowhere's, then we can continue.

Scott, when you say "It doesn't even click, it just pops back " that tells me you have not flipped the breaker to the OFF position before trying to flip to ON. Are you sure the breaker is completely OFF before you turn it ON?

Ok, ballenger was right, I wasn't flipping all the way to the left. So I did that but it still popped. I then pulled the wire from the breaker it did stay on. But when I put the wire back it popped again. I removed the fixture but the breaker still pops when I try to reset it.

You should have other places where you lost power.Check for lost power at other places and see what you find

I have checked and nothing else appears out.

How many wires in switch box?

There are two wires, (white and black) going into the wall switch. Also white and black in the junction box the fixture was wired to.

Must be more wires than that. If you only have two wires (white and black) in switch box there must be four or more wires in ceiling box (two white and two black). If you have only two wires in ceiling box you must have at least four (two white and two black) in switch box.

Did breaker reset?

Whoops, your right. There are white and black coming in from the top and another white and black pair coming in from the side.

When I try to resent the breaker it just pops back out. Even if the switch is off. However, I didn't test the breaker with the switch disconnected. Should I?

In the switch box, the two white wires should be connected together with a wire nut. The two black wires should be connected to the switch. Correct?

No the switch box has only 2, one white and one black, each connected to the switch. The fixture box has a white and a black coming in from the side and a white and 2 blacks coming from the top. The 2 whites are twisted together and were twisted into the white from the fixture. Two of the blacks are twisted together and the other black was connected to the black from fixture.

I just disconnected the 2 wires into the switch and tried to reset the breaker and it still popped!

This was all working fine Saturday night.

Thes wires must be in conduit as opposed to cables.

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The fixture box has a white and a black coming in from the side and a white and 2 blacks coming from the top.

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Doesn't sound logical unless there are two blacks in switch box.
What color are wires connected to circuit breaker.

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

Thes wires must be in conduit as opposed to cables.



Doesn't sound logical unless there are two blacks in switch box.
What color are wires connected to circuit breaker.

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May not be logical, house was built in '53. Wire going into breaker is black