Fixtures on outside circuit stopped working

[blueracer]

I installed a ceiling fan on one inside circuit, and then I noticed that three coach lights and a spot light on an external circuit had stopped working--not sure if the timing was a coincidence or not. I tried flipping the breaker for the outside circuit, pushing the GFCI reset button on another receptacle on the same circuit, and new bulbs, but they don't work. The receptacle the spot light had been plugged into still works, and all other receptacles on the circuit work. The spot light doesn't work on any circuit now. Could a power surge have just blown out the coach lights and spot light? How can I guard against this happening again? The house is only about 5 years old.

[Snoonyb]

OK. A circuit ia a single or a number of devices whose power originates in the elec. service panel and is controled by a circuit breaker.

A device can range from a single appliance, a number of recepticles and/or a number of switches, which in turn can control a number of devices.

One term for the wiring for devices controlled by a switch is "switch leg."

So you installed a ceiling fan on a switch leg and noticed that a number of devices on another switch leg were no longer operating.

Q. Do you own a VOM, Volt/OHM/meter?
Q. Is the switch controlling the now non-operational devices in the same box as the new fan connection?

For the device that will not operate anywhere. With it disconnected from the wiring and the lamp removed, when you look into the lamp socket you should see a metal "tang" which may appear flattened. With a needle nose plier, pull up on this tang gently until it remains slightly raised, insert the lamp and try.

[blueracer]

I lifted the "tang" on the spot light, and it works now. I tried this on the hard-wired coach lights also, but they still don't work (even with new bulbs).

The switches controlling the new fan and the non-working devices are in different boxes, on different levels of the house, although it's possible they are controlled by the same circuit breaker because of proximity. With all three coach lights suddenly not working, I'm not certain which circuit breaker controls them, so before I lifted their "tangs" I turned off three nearby circuits. I haven't opened the box with the switch for the coach lights at all.

I don't have a VOM, but I can obtain one if recommended for this problem.

[Snoonyb]

You'll probably need one because you have either an open neutral or hot leed.
But you need to Identify which circuits are controled by which breaker.