electricallightingswitchwiring
My kitchen light is not turning on with light switch, I checked it with a two wire light gadget and when I stick them in a electrical plug socket I get a bright light on the gadget, when I touch the kitchen light switch, the two screws on the right hand side, when light switch is turned on I get a very dim light on that checker, with the light switch off, I get no light at all on the gadget.
Could this mean I need a new light switch?
Assuming the light itself isn't bad, then the combination of a dim light and the dishwasher making it go out sounds like a break in a wire or a corroded connection. A break or corrosion can allow enough current to pass to light the bulb dimly, but when a higher current is called for the resistance of the break or corrosion goes up, causing an apparent total failure.
If you consider this simplified diagram, showing a light & switch, with the switch in the off position on the left, and in the on position on the right:
When the switch is OFF, its contacts are open - preventing current from flowing through the circuit to the light bulb.
When the switch is ON, its contacts are closed - allowing current to flow through the light bulb.
Your "voltage tester" is measuring voltage, not current.
When the switch is on the ON/closed position, your "voltage tester" measures 0V across the switch because that is exactly the case - a closed switch is a short-circuit and even though there may well be current flowing through it, there is no voltage across it.
If you were to put your "voltage tester" across the light bulb instead, you would find exactly the opposite case.
With the switch OFF/open there will be 0V across the light bulb and when the switch is ON/closed you will measure a voltage across the light bulb.
Best Answer
Agreed that you need to verify the light is not working first by switching the light bulb with a known working light bulb. If that doesn't work is there another 3 way switch that is off now that you didn't know you had? That was switched off by somebody else since you didn't know it existed.
Can this light only be turned on and off from the one location (i am trying to figure out if this is a single pole or 3 way light switch your testing.)
If its a single pole switch (only two screws with wires under them) than when you put your light up probe on the contacts on the switch it should light either full on or full off. (depending what position you have the switch in , up or down) So if its half on than something is going on.
If its a 3 way switch than maybe your putting the probe on the wrong contacts to get a full light. A three way switch has 3 wires under three different screws.
I am just trying to think out loud because I don't know what to think.
Maybe its a bad ballast (in a fluorescent light fixture) giving off funny voltages which I am not even sure makes sense. What kind of a light is it?
Maybe the neutral in the panel is loose (i know I have had half voltages on plugs when the neutral was loose in the panel even though I wasn't in the panel recently).
Let me know how it goes.