Water Dripping From a Ceiling Light Fitting in Ghana 2026: What to Do
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If water is dripping from a light fitting, switch off that circuit at the distribution board immediately and do not touch the fitting or its switch. In Ghanaian concrete buildings the water usually enters the roof slab at a crack and runs along the cast-in electrical conduit, so the leak point can be several metres from where it appears. Make the circuit safe first, then trace the source.
Step one: make it safe
- Switch off the circuit at the distribution board. If you don't know which breaker, switch off the main.
- Do not use the wall switch for that light. Wet switch plates are a shock risk.
- Catch the water with a bucket and move furniture and electronics.
- Call an electrician before the circuit is switched back on. Water inside a junction box can cause a fault days after the drip stops.
Only then is it time to find the leak.
Why the water comes out of the light
Most Ghanaian homes with a concrete roof have PVC conduit cast into the slab, running from the roof area down to each ceiling point. Water that gets into the slab through a crack follows the easiest path — and a conduit run is exactly that. It exits at the lowest opening: the ceiling rose, the downlight box or the fan hook. That is why the drip often appears in a room that looks nowhere near the damaged part of the roof.
The four usual sources
| Source | Clue | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Roof slab crack or failed membrane | Drips only during or just after rain; worse in heavy storms | Membrane repair; fleece at cracks, parapets and penetrations |
| Bathroom or pipework on the floor above | Drips when showers or taps are used, rain or shine | Plumbing repair, then bathroom waterproofing before retiling |
| AC condensate line | Drips when the AC runs; clean water | Re-route or reseal the drain; seal the roof penetration |
| Condensation in the ceiling void | Small drips on cool mornings; no rain link | Ventilation and insulation, not waterproofing |
A simple test you can do yourself
If the drips have stopped since the rain, wait for a dry day and run water on the roof around the area above the fitting with a hose for 20-30 minutes, working from the lowest point upwards. Have someone watch the ceiling. If the fitting drips, it is a roof leak. If it doesn't, run the shower upstairs for 20 minutes and watch again. This costs nothing and tells an inspector where to look first.
Fixing a roof-slab source properly
Sealing the light fitting does not fix anything — the water will find the next opening. The repair belongs on the roof:
- Isolated crack: clean, prime and apply a fleece-reinforced strip. Fleece bridges cracks up to about 3 mm, against about 0.3 mm for unreinforced coating. Installed rate GHS 180-280/m² for the reinforced area only.
- General membrane failure: a full 2-coat polyurethane system at GHS 80-130/m² installed. Fleece is not needed across a sound roof field; it roughly doubles the cost there for no gain.
- Penetrations: tank stands, AC lines and pipes need their own fleece collars. See roof leaks at AC and pipe penetrations.
For DIY material planning: about 0.4 kg per m² across two coats. The 10kg polyurethane coating (GHS 1,000) covers 40-80 m² per coat — 20-40 m² finished with two coats. The 5kg (GHS 500) covers 10-20 m² finished.
While you wait for the repair
If you can see the crack on the roof and dry it for an hour, Leak Seal Tape (GHS 250) will hold it. Keep the circuit isolated until the electrician has cleared it, even if the drip stops.
What to expect from a proper repair
A correctly applied polyurethane membrane has a 20-year design life. Fest Ghana gives a 3-year workmanship warranty and the material has a 3-year manufacturer warranty. The warranty is the period we return and fix it at our cost; the design life is how long the membrane is engineered to keep performing.
Book a leak trace
We trace the leak from the roof side, show you where it enters and quote only the area that needs work. Book an inspection or call 0555 548 001.