Your bathroom fan is humming along just fine, but the light above it refuses to turn on. This happens more often than you might think, and it can be pretty annoying when you need both ventilation and proper lighting at the same time.
Most people assume something complicated is broken inside the unit. But here’s what I’ve learned after fixing countless extractor fans: the light issue is usually something simple that you can handle yourself. This guide will walk you through what causes these lights to stop working and how to get yours shining again.
What’s Really Happening With Your Fan Light
An extractor fan light is actually two separate systems sharing the same housing. The fan motor does its job pulling moisture and odors out of your bathroom, while the light circuit operates independently to brighten up the space. Think of them as roommates who share an apartment but have their own rooms.
When your light stops working but the fan keeps running, it tells you something specific: the electrical connection to the light bulb has failed somewhere along the line. This could be at the bulb itself, the socket where it screws in, or even further back in the wiring that feeds power to that socket.
What makes this frustrating is that everything looks normal from the outside. You flip the switch expecting light, but nothing happens. The fan might even sound perfect, which makes the whole situation more confusing. Your first instinct might be to call an electrician, but hold that thought for now.
If you leave this unfixed, you’re stuck using your bathroom in dim conditions or relying on other light sources. That’s inconvenient at best and potentially unsafe at worst, especially during nighttime visits or morning routines when you need proper visibility.
Extractor Fan Light Not Working: Common Causes
Several things can interrupt the power flow to your extractor fan light. Understanding what typically goes wrong helps you fix the problem faster and prevents you from checking things that aren’t actually broken.
1. Dead or Loose Light Bulb
Your bulb might have simply reached the end of its life. Every bulb has a limited number of hours it can shine, and bathroom bulbs often burn out faster because of the moisture and heat cycles they go through. You turn the light on, it warms up, moisture from your shower hits it, then it cools down again. This constant temperature change stresses the filament or electronic components inside.
Even if the bulb looks fine, it could have failed internally. Sometimes you can see a broken filament in older incandescent bulbs, but LED and CFL bulbs fail without any visible signs. A bulb that worked yesterday can be completely dead today.
There’s another possibility that catches people off guard. The bulb might have loosened over time from vibrations. Every time your fan motor runs, it creates tiny movements that can gradually unscrew the bulb just enough to break the electrical contact.
2. Faulty Light Switch
Switches wear out from repeated use. Each time you flip that switch, tiny metal contacts inside touch together to complete the electrical circuit. After thousands of flips over months or years, those contacts can corrode or bend out of shape. You might flip the switch and hear a click, but no electrical connection actually happens.
Bathroom switches face extra challenges because humidity can creep into the switch housing over time. This moisture causes oxidation on the metal contacts, creating a barrier that prevents electricity from flowing through properly.
3. Tripped Circuit or Blown Fuse
Your home’s electrical system protects itself by cutting power when something goes wrong. If the light circuit drew too much current for any reason, the breaker in your electrical panel would trip automatically. This safety feature prevents overheating and potential fires.
Sometimes a power surge from a lightning storm or utility work can trip a breaker without you even knowing it happened. The fan might still work because it’s on a different circuit, or because only the light portion of the circuit was affected.
4. Damaged Wiring or Loose Connections
Inside the extractor fan housing, several wires connect the light socket to the power supply. These connections can loosen over time, especially if the unit vibrates during operation. A wire might pull away from its terminal just enough to break contact.
Physical damage can occur too. Maybe someone recently worked on the unit or replaced the fan, and a wire got pinched or cut during reassembly. Rodents occasionally chew through wiring in attics or ceiling spaces, though this is less common in bathrooms.
Heat from the light bulb itself can cause wire insulation to become brittle over the years. When insulation cracks, bare wires might touch the metal housing and create a short circuit that prevents the light from working.
5. Failed Light Socket
The socket that holds your bulb has its own set of components that can fail. Inside that socket, there’s a small metal tab at the bottom that must make contact with the base of your bulb. This tab can get pushed down too far, especially if someone screwed in a bulb too tightly in the past.
Corrosion builds up on this contact tab over time, particularly in humid bathroom environments. Even a thin layer of oxidation can prevent electricity from flowing properly. The socket might look perfectly fine, but that invisible corrosion stops it from working.
Extractor Fan Light Not Working: DIY Fixes
Getting your extractor fan light working again is usually straightforward. Most fixes take just a few minutes and require tools you probably already have at home.
1. Replace or Reseat the Bulb
Start with the simplest possibility first. Turn off the light switch, then carefully unscrew the bulb from its socket. Check if it looks darkened inside or if you can see any obvious damage. Try this bulb in another fixture to see if it lights up there. If it doesn’t work elsewhere, you know the bulb is dead.
Before installing a new bulb, take a moment to check the socket itself. Look inside with a flashlight to see if anything looks burnt or corroded. If the socket looks clean, screw in a new bulb that matches the wattage rating printed on or near the socket. Many modern extractor fans use specific bulb types, so check your user manual if you’re unsure.
Make sure you tighten the bulb properly but don’t force it. You want it snug enough to make good electrical contact, but overtightening can damage the socket or the bulb base. Turn the power back on and test your light. This simple fix works more often than you’d expect.
2. Test and Replace the Switch
Your wall switch controls power to the light, so testing it makes sense as your next step. First, turn off the circuit breaker that powers this switch. Use a voltage tester to confirm the power is really off before touching any wires. Remove the switch cover plate and the screws holding the switch in the electrical box.
Pull the switch out gently and look at the wire connections. Are they tight and secure? Sometimes a wire just needs to be tightened on its terminal. If connections look good, you can test the switch with a multimeter set to continuity mode. Touch one probe to each terminal and flip the switch. The meter should show continuity in the on position and no continuity when off.
If your switch fails this test, replacing it is cheap and easy. Make sure you buy the same type of switch, whether it’s a standard toggle, rocker, or dimmer. Connect the wires to the new switch exactly as they were on the old one, push it back into the box, and screw everything back together. Restore power and test your light.
3. Check Your Circuit Breaker
Head to your electrical panel and look for any breakers in the tripped position. A tripped breaker usually sits between the full on and full off positions, though some just move to the off position. Even if a breaker looks fine, try turning it fully off and then back on again. This resets the internal mechanism.
If the breaker trips again immediately after you reset it, you have a short circuit somewhere that needs professional attention. But if it stays on, your light might work now. Sometimes breakers trip for temporary reasons and just need a reset to function normally again.
4. Inspect and Secure Internal Wiring
This step requires you to access the inside of your extractor fan unit. Turn off power at the breaker first. Remove the fan cover or grille, which usually just clips or screws into place. You might need to remove the light bulb and its cover to see the wiring.
Look for any wires that appear disconnected or loose at their terminals. Check wire nuts to make sure they’re tight. If you see any damaged insulation or bare wire touching metal parts, that’s your problem. You might be able to wrap damaged sections with electrical tape temporarily, but plan to have an electrician properly repair or replace damaged wiring soon.
Pay special attention to where wires connect to the light socket. These connections can vibrate loose over time. Tighten any loose terminal screws you find. Make sure no wires are pinched or bent sharply, as this can cause internal breaks in the wire even if the insulation looks intact.
5. Clean or Replace the Light Socket
Sometimes the socket itself is the culprit. With the power off, examine the metal contact tab at the bottom of the socket. If it’s pressed down flat, use a small flathead screwdriver to gently pry it up about an eighth of an inch. Be careful not to break it.
Clean the contact tab with fine sandpaper or a small wire brush to remove any corrosion. Even light tarnish can prevent good electrical contact. Wipe away any dust or debris from inside the socket. These simple cleaning steps often restore function to a socket that seemed dead.
If the socket looks cracked, melted, or severely corroded, replacement is your best option. Most extractor fan manufacturers sell replacement light socket assemblies. The installation usually involves disconnecting a few wires and swapping the old socket for the new one.
6. Call an Electrician
If you’ve tried everything and your light still won’t work, it’s time to call in a professional. An electrician has specialized tools and knowledge to diagnose problems that aren’t obvious to the average homeowner. They can safely test voltage at different points in the circuit to find exactly where power is being lost.
Some issues require permits and code compliance knowledge that only licensed electricians possess. Problems with the main wiring in your walls or ceiling should always be handled by a professional. Your safety matters more than the cost of a service call.
Wrap-Up
A non-working extractor fan light is usually just a minor hiccup rather than a major disaster. Most times, you can get it shining again with basic troubleshooting and a few simple fixes. Start with the easiest solutions first and work your way through the possibilities.
Keep your expectations realistic but stay patient. These lights are built to last, but components do wear out over time. By understanding what can go wrong and how to fix it, you’re saving yourself money and gaining useful knowledge for future repairs. Your bathroom will be bright and well-ventilated again before you know it.