Decorative Rope Lightswitch Blowing Fuse

[Doc Mark]

Got home late last night and noticed something strange with the bedroom lights. The halogen (ceiling) lights would not turn on high intensity (but did work on low) & the decorative (rope) lights in the ceiling around the AC drop-down wouldn't work at all. All these lights are controlled by the 3-switch panel at the head of the bed - forward of the bed (side closest to shower).

Investigated further this AM and found that the 20 amp fuse marked bedroom was blown. Replaced it and high halogens worked again. But, as soon as as I threw the leftmost switch (decorative) the fuse blew again. Now, I had used a fuse that when it is shorted out, a light turns on on the top of the fuse. The light was on. But when I turned the decorative switch off again, the fuse light went out (I add this as an aside - I really don't know if it has any bearing on the problem or not - this is just what I observed).

So, I pulled the wires to the switch and taped them up until I can order a new switch.

My question to you all is - do you think it is a problem with the switch, or is there possibly a short elsewhere in the system (I sure hope not - I don't want to have to search out a short in that wiring!).

Mark

["007"]

The red led on fuse indicates its a blown fuse just as some fuse panels have a red led on board that will indicate where the blown fuse is at.
When you change the fuse can you find the 12v lead and try operating the different leads to the lights may indicate which group is bad when it blows fuse.
Use a jumper wire with two alligator clips.
Rope lights have had problems when the small wheat lamps blow or short out.

[CorporateMonkey]

My folks had the front living room a/c pod rope lights fail in a similar fashion.

Turned out the way the rope light was wired up, it allowed enough wire chaffing to short out the rope lights.
The scary part was the amount of burnt surrounding material. The fuse didn't blow fast enough to prevent that.

I was not present for how it was fixed, but I was told they had to chase the wires by removing some of the ceiling panels.