As I mentioned in my last running post, one of the light fixtures in the downstairs hallway has fallen down.

This is a two tube fluorescent fixture which is not intended to dangle by its electrical wires, and quite obviously it was not installed very securely. It probably should have been screwed into ceiling beams (or "studs" as they get called here) rather than relying on wall plugs to hold it up.

Something bad happened electrically when this light fitting dropped - the circuit breaker tripped, and even after I had cut the wires and taped them up (all I had time to do this morning; I would have preferred to open the junction box and disconnect the wires more cleanly) the circuit would not reactivate. There must be something short circuiting in the junction box. Maybe one of the current carrying wires has lost its insulation and is touching the grounded metal.

I am now going to have to spend time this evening making the junction box electrically safe so I can get the circuit going and turn on the lights in the hallway again. I am glad that (a) there are two fixtures in that room; and (b) that both of them are over-specced.

I'd still rather be doing network wiring though.

Posted by Dunx at August 2, 2004 04:32 PM