Electrician?

[loverspit]

I've just moved into a new place, and a pendant light in the kitchen suddenly stopped working a day ago.  Turning the breaker on and off doesn't seem to change anything.  I am not sure if it's an electrical problem or just with the lamp itself and I have no idea where to seek consultation.  Before this I've always lived in rentals where the

Comments

[blueelf13]

I hope this doesn't sound rude... Did you check to make sure the bulb didn't burn out? If you did, and just didn't mention it, it would be good for us to know that you checked it first... if it was working before, it doesn't sound likely to be something major.

[loverspit]

The lamp is actually kind of a spidery chandelier thing, so it's not just one bulb. It's this one, specifically: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00095475 and it's hooked into the ceiling and is controlled by a light switch in the hall.

I have checked all the little bulbs and they seem fine. It seems weird to think that they might be wired in series but to be sure I even replaced some of the older-looking ones with new bulbs with no success.

I welcome any DIY solutions also, but between the latter and turning the breaker on and off, I really don't know anything about this kind of thing! I will add this info onto my post though, thanks for the advice.

[blueelf13]

Can you confirm that this light was working before? It's possible that it's just a loose wire, esp. if the previous owners did it themselves and didn't do a proper job. That is the type of job you'd probably want to find a handy-man for, who has general knowledge of all sorts of household things. This sounds like something fairly basic for an electrician, but you're looking at possibly $50 just to come to your house... I could give you the name of the electrician in NDG we were using, but it was for things far more complicated than this, and I don't really know how much it would cost for that kind of work. If you have any friends who know this kind of thing, you'd probably be better off asking them to show you, and making them a nice dinner or baking them something as compensation. :)

[taxlady]

If you are renting, then it's the landlord who should deal with this. You shouldn't have to. On the other hand, I had a landlord who really appreciated that I would handle this stuff and send him the receipt with the next rent cheque, having subtracted what it cost me. Always ask your landlord before doing that or he/she is not legally required to accept the receipt in lieu of rent.

[loverspit]

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) this time I'm not renting! This is partly why I'm a little at a loss here.

[taxlady]

Well, there are ups and downs to owning. Sorry, I don't have a recommendation for a good electrician. We do most of the simple electrical ourselves.

You can get instructions on how to do lots of DIY stuff from most of the DIY-type stores, e.g., Reno-Depot, Rona, Home Hardware. There are probably others. Check their websites. Pay particular attention to any safety stuff, e.g., remove fuse before working on the lamp. It's usually best to work on lighting when there is natural light available. I would also recommend checking with Ikea about the lamp. They might have some kind of suggestion. Have you ever seen it work?

Quebec specific tip: if you are going to disconnect any of the electrical connections, pay close attention to the way they are connected. Quebec electrical doesn't always follow the conventions about the colours of the wires/connectors, e.g., red is supposed to be the live one, but don't just trust that it is.

[sourdick]

I installed my first ceiling light just last month. I was very proud of myself for not dying. I hope that helps.

[chowhounder67]

Electrika was good for me (radiators) and people I know who used them were also satisfied.