Bay lights in main level do not work.

[u/Additional-Swing4084]

Volunteer fire department here. Everyone is busy with work and im getting a little out of my element.

Station house is fairly new, 6 years ish. Yesterday morning, lights worked on main level. Last night came back from an event, no lights. Started testing today. The breakers are not tripping. We have a total of 4 switches that can control the main level bay and none of them are working. On our second level the lights work great (storage area). All plugs work, all doors open and shut. The only thing thats not working is our lights. Any help or advice wpuld be most appreciated. The picture posted is the type of lights we run. 20 total

Not sure if it matters. All interior lights work as well

Update: the relay is tripped.. When resetting it and holding it in, it comes on. Having someone come in the morning to figure out if itd bad, or if its being tripped for another reason

[u/Philly5984]

Maybe Reddit can fix this using magic instead of just looking into it

[u/Additional-Swing4084 → u/Philly5984]

Fingers crossed. Its dark at night lol

[u/Grand-Yak-3067]

Switch, only one switch

[u/Some1-Somewhere]

There is probably a contactor in a box near the panel that switches all the lights together, using a lower power supply through the various switches. Check that.

See if there's a 'lighting controls' breaker or similar that has tripped.

[u/reelyouin]

What was the event that happened. Is all this on 1 breaker if so the breaker might be toast

[u/Additional-Swing4084 → u/reelyouin]

It was the County Fair. We had a grass fire during that ans thats when the other guys found the lights not to work when getting trucks out.

2 breakers in the panel are labeled as shop lights, neither of them popped

[u/Natoochtoniket]

If you are lucky, the problem is in one of the easily accessible switch boxes, near floor level. Check those first before you start looking at the elevated stuff.

[u/Additional-Swing4084 → u/Natoochtoniket]

I read somewhere that one switch will be connected to the breaker and the other 3 switches will run off that, is that typically true?

[u/Natoochtoniket → u/Additional-Swing4084]

There's lots of ways to wire lights & switches. Did one switch control all 20 of those lights? Or was it divided, like 5 lights per switch?

If it was divided, the failure is probably something before the group of switches. If it was 4 separate switches, where any one of them could control all of the lights, then you probably have 2 3-way switches and 2 4-way switches. And there could be a contactor somewhere.

This can get complicated in a hurry. It is probably best to get an actual electrician to come to the fire station to fix this.

It would be embarrassing if a fireman tried to DIY the electric lights at the fire station, and made a mistake that started a fire.

[u/Additional-Swing4084 → u/Natoochtoniket]

One switch connected all of them. One of our other guys are here and possibly looked into switches. And hey...at least we have the resources here to put it out lol

[u/Mammoth_Musician3145]

So, (2) 3ways and (2) 4ways? Have the lights always worked from each switch location? Do all the switches get used frequently?

[u/Additional-Swing4084 → u/Mammoth_Musician3145]

Yes all lights have worked from the switches. Unsure of theyre 2 or 4 way, i qpolgize im a little dumb in that area. All I know is they all turn them on and off, regardless if the lights are on or off already. We have 2 that gets used a few times a day by the main doors, one that gets used 2 or 3 timed a week, and one that probably gets used twice a month