I have 2 ceiling lights in my living room, there are two sockets for controlling them; one a dimmer switch and the other just a normal light switch. One day i came in and switched on the dimmer switch but nothing happened at all. All the downstairs lights are on the same fuse so its not that and i have changed the bulbs twice in case it was dodgy bulbs but to no avail. There is no longer a buzzing noise coming from the dimmer either. Any suggestions?

Di84, February 2010

It does sound like a broken dimmer. Unfortunately they can be very susceptible to sudden surges, such as those occurring when an incandesent bulb dies. A small component within the dimmer, called a triac, is often the culprit. When these go kaput, the switch itself has to be replaced.

Tony, March 2010

Do you think the dimmer switch might have become defective - it does happen.

Peccavi, February 2010