the lights have all gone off

[themagicamulet]

in our loft conversion ( stairs, landing, bathroom and bedroom)! I assumed the circuit had tripped and checked the consumer unit but all the switches are still in the 'on' position. I can't see a separate circuit for the loft lights on the unit. There's one for 'upstairs lights' but all the lights on the first floor still work. The plug sockets in the loft still work. We had the loft converted three years ago and haven't had any problems before. Most of the lights up there are those GU10 halogen spots. Anyone had a similar issue?

If your breakers are like ours, when a breaker is tripped it just moves slightly out of line with the others. Try turning the appropriate breaker off, then back on again.

if that doesn't cure it, there is probably a bad connection in one of the ceiling roses. If a lamp or transformer failed, the momentary surge may have burned it out.

Lighting circuits are run in a string, not a ring, so if that is the cause, it will be at the last lighting fitting that works, or the first that doesn't. In UK, lighting circuits usually run from one ceiling rose to the next, and each rose has a link to its light switch. In some cases the circuits run from one switch to the next, and each switch has a link to its ceiling rose. You will see the difference as soon as you look behind a light switch.

If you have downlighters and 12v spots the connections and transformers are probably hidden out of reach sight above the ceiling.

You must of course turn off the power at the consumer unit before investigating. Unless you have some reason to know otherwise, and have electricians instrument capable of testing for dead, don't trust individual breakers to be correctly marked, turn off the main switch. A neon screwdriver is not an electrician's instrument, and is best stored in the bin.

For tonight, use table lamps plugged into wall sockets.

thanks all. We've plugged some lamps in for now. I work full time so it will be a while before I am at home in daylight and/or we can get someone out to look at it!