Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is? The bathroom light and fan are on different circuit breakers. Therefore if a circuit breaker for the light trips, but the circuit breaker for the fan doesn’t trip, then it’s easy to see why the bathroom light is not working but the fan is.
A tripped circuit breaker is the most likely cause of a bathroom light not working. To fix the problem go to your switchboard and locate the circuit breaker connected to the bathroom light. It should be labelled ‘lights’ and be in the down position which tells you that the breaker has tripped. To reset the breaker, flip it back into the up position.
By doing this you should have power to the bathroom light.
If this solved the problem then you might not need to read the rest of this post.
However, if the circuit breaker trips again or the light doesn’t come back on then there are other reasons why this is happening.
Some of these faults will require an electrician to resolve and others can be fixed yourself.
Bathrooms are by their very nature damp locations. And dampness doesn’t pair well with electricity. So it’s fairly common for bathroom faults to occur, especially as bathrooms age over time. This can lead to electrical problems which causes breakers to trip.
Breakers trip as a safety protection against electric shocks and fires, so it’s quite important to understand exactly what the cause of the fault is.
Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is – Reason #1
Faulty Bulb
Bathroom light not working but fan is? A faulty bulb is the first place to look. If you heard a loud pop in the light fitting when the light went out, then it might be a faulty bulb causing the problem. To fix this, simply remove the bulb or take a photo of it and bring it to your electrical wholesaler for an exact replacement.
Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is – Reason #2
Faulty Light Fixture
The next reason for a bathroom light not working is a faulty light fixture. As mentioned earlier, bathrooms are damp areas and moisture can penetrate into light fittings, eventually leading to failure.
The best thing is to ensure the next light fitting has the correct IP rating for use in damp areas.
Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is – Reason #3
Faulty Transformer
The transformer for the light is often located in the wall or ceiling cavity. The transformer converts standard 230V to a lower voltage such as 12V for use in damp areas such as bathrooms. Transformers can fail over time and need replacing.
The best way to find out if this is the cause of the problem is to locate the transformer (if one exists – not all lights have these), then test if the transformer has a low voltage output.
If there are any brown or burnt areas of the transformer, then this could be the cause of the problem.
Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is – Reason #4
Faulty Light Switch
The next possible cause relates to the light switch. If the light switch has a fault, it can be magnified by being located in a damp area such as a bathroom.
Loose or broken wires in the light switch can lead to breakers tripping.
Light switches can fail for many reasons as discussed in this post.
Check the general condition of the light switch, if the switch has wear and tear then it might be the cause of the problem. The rocker switch should work normally and not stay on.
Bathroom Light Not Working But Fan Is – Reason #5
A Problem Unrelated To The Bathroom Light
Lastly, the problem might not be with the bathroom light, but with another light on the same circuit. This could be anything which is on the same circuit breaker as the bathroom light. The best way to check is to find out if other lights are not working as well. It could be that some of those lights also have faulty bulbs or transformers.
If you are not sure, then it is wise to get in contact with a registered electrician to find the source of the fault.
Conclusion
For a general look at why some circuits turn off and others do not, read this post. The point of this post was to give you some fault finding tips for why the bathroom light isn’t working but the fan is. Hopefully you can use this information to find the cause of the fault yourself and save yourself a callout from the electrician. If not, you can use this information to help the electrician find the cause of the fault faster and hopefully save yourself some money in the process.
Next Steps
- If you know someone who has a bathroom light not working and think this post is useful, then please share with them so we can help as many people as possible.
- If you’d like a free guide on how to save money hiring electricians, then download this guide