Electrical (domestic) problem
13 March 2013, 01:12 PM
#1
Electrical (domestic) problem
My wife rang me this morning, am away with work, the upstairs lights went off at home, the fuse has gone but we dont know why, she obviously suspects it was me swapping the shower over at the weekend but cant imagine this has anything to do with it, the shower is obviously on a different circuit and its working fine.
Am trying to get hold of the Electrician but cant get hold of him, any ideas, might it just be as simple as a bulb going and taking out the fuse, it is an old style consumer unit with fuse wire, not trip switches.
Am trying to get hold of the Electrician but cant get hold of him, any ideas, might it just be as simple as a bulb going and taking out the fuse, it is an old style consumer unit with fuse wire, not trip switches.
13 March 2013, 01:48 PM
#3
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You can get breakers to slot into those old style units in place of the fuse so if it happens more often I'd at least suggest going to one of them. Have you got any halogen lights on the upstairs circuit as these are notorious for tripping breakers / blowing fuses just as they blow. Seems like the draw a large amount of current just before going pop.
I'd change the fuse and see what happens when the main switch is flicked back on....
I'd change the fuse and see what happens when the main switch is flicked back on....
13 March 2013, 02:39 PM
#5
Went to look at one for COB on here while he was at work.
It was the bulb, a spotlight type, non halogen, which had eventually got so hot it melted the connectors on it's base and shorted out the fitting.
Getting the bulb OUT was a laugh a minute and I was lucky not to end up with glass in my hand when it burst.
The fitting was gash and had to be replaced, but apart form that, no probs once the fuse was repaired.
It was the bulb, a spotlight type, non halogen, which had eventually got so hot it melted the connectors on it's base and shorted out the fitting.
Getting the bulb OUT was a laugh a minute and I was lucky not to end up with glass in my hand when it burst.
The fitting was gash and had to be replaced, but apart form that, no probs once the fuse was repaired.
13 March 2013, 02:48 PM
#7
Done any dusting of lights recently?
I only say this as our one light fitting was from B & Q. and basically the bayonet fittings were shyte...the pins that are supposed to make contact with the base of the bulb could move sideways and make contact with the outer base of the bulb...which is earthed. So basically a direct short.
Took a while to work out what was going on, but basically knocking a lightbulb would cause a short circuit and blow the breaker.
Wasn't a cheap fitting either
I only say this as our one light fitting was from B & Q. and basically the bayonet fittings were shyte...the pins that are supposed to make contact with the base of the bulb could move sideways and make contact with the outer base of the bulb...which is earthed. So basically a direct short.
Took a while to work out what was going on, but basically knocking a lightbulb would cause a short circuit and blow the breaker.
Wasn't a cheap fitting either
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13 March 2013, 10:09 PM
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14 March 2013, 01:34 PM
#14
Cheers for all the suggestions, I managed to get hold of the electrician and he nipped in and sorted the fuse, one of the bulbs had shone its last in the bathroom and taken out the fuse when it died which was what I kind of expected but for £20 I didnt want her messing with electrics, she isnt daft but for the sake of twenty quid to check it over it is worth the peace of mind.
14 March 2013, 02:51 PM
#17
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Yep, a work colleague of mine rewired his own house a few years ago after asking us all how to do it.... his lights worked, but he had no idea what I was talking about when I asked him if he had made sure all the switches were on the live side of the circuits.... he said 'well they come on when I use the switch so they must be right' 
Last edited by f1_fan; 14 March 2013 at 02:52 PM.
14 March 2013, 04:51 PM
#18
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Are you saying that the fuse for the upstairs light blows whenever you replace it-if so there is a short circuit somewhere.
If the fuse does not blow but there are still no lights then there is a failure of the connection of the lights circuit to the mains via the fuse.
The shower will almost certainly be on the ring main circuit which is not part of the lighting circuit that you mention and therefore should not affect it.
Les
If the fuse does not blow but there are still no lights then there is a failure of the connection of the lights circuit to the mains via the fuse.
The shower will almost certainly be on the ring main circuit which is not part of the lighting circuit that you mention and therefore should not affect it.
Les
14 March 2013, 11:11 PM
#19
are you having a laugh?
a shower should have it's own mcb with rcd protection or rcbo. it should be 32a and 10mm cable
CharlySkunkWeed
its fusewire , not a flippin bomb !
i agree, if there is still a direct short, all that will happen when the fuse is inserted is it will blow and go bang
i also agree with little knowledge can be dangerous, if you haven't been trained, get someone that has
14 March 2013, 11:24 PM
#20
The only thing the poster about the shower on the ring is on about , is a power shower.
And you dont need to be "trained" to replace fusewire , shown maybe. Its like saying you should be trained to change the spare wheel. If wiring or something is being altered yes , but no need to get carried away here guys !
And you dont need to be "trained" to replace fusewire , shown maybe. Its like saying you should be trained to change the spare wheel. If wiring or something is being altered yes , but no need to get carried away here guys !
Last edited by CharlySkunkWeed; 14 March 2013 at 11:30 PM.
15 March 2013, 08:27 AM
#23
To blow a fuse there is an issue. A fuse is a SAFETY device. If it blows etc the cause needs to be investigated and checked BEFORE reinstating the power supply.
How else do you knowk it is safe to do so else?
I'm not sure if you are aware that fuses take 50+% of their tripping current before they activate, giving time for things to get very hot/burn etc before tripping out. I've seen heater batteries pulling 60amps run off a 40a fuse and they never trip, just get a little warm lol.
Never just replace a fuse without knowing what exactly has went wrong.
How else do you knowk it is safe to do so else?
I'm not sure if you are aware that fuses take 50+% of their tripping current before they activate, giving time for things to get very hot/burn etc before tripping out. I've seen heater batteries pulling 60amps run off a 40a fuse and they never trip, just get a little warm lol.
Never just replace a fuse without knowing what exactly has went wrong.
15 March 2013, 08:32 AM
#24
15 March 2013, 10:37 AM
#26
If a shower cable is run through insulation in the loft, it should be 10mm and a 32a mcb. Fact.
A 32a mcb will take 40a for ages, it won't trip out
How many of you have done the 17th edition? Inspection and testing 2391?
A blown bulb causes a fault for a split second, then goes open circuit, thus clearing the fault.
So, in your house, when a bulb blows, you get an electrician to come and test it before any power is reinstated?
A 32a mcb will take 40a for ages, it won't trip out
How many of you have done the 17th edition? Inspection and testing 2391?
A blown bulb causes a fault for a split second, then goes open circuit, thus clearing the fault.
So, in your house, when a bulb blows, you get an electrician to come and test it before any power is reinstated?
15 March 2013, 11:03 AM
#28
If a shower cable is run through insulation in the loft, it should be 10mm and a 32a mcb. Fact.
A 32a mcb will take 40a for ages, it won't trip out
How many of you have done the 17th edition? Inspection and testing 2391?
A blown bulb causes a fault for a split second, then goes open circuit, thus clearing the fault.
So, in your house, when a bulb blows, you get an electrician to come and test it before any power is reinstated?
A 32a mcb will take 40a for ages, it won't trip out
How many of you have done the 17th edition? Inspection and testing 2391?
A blown bulb causes a fault for a split second, then goes open circuit, thus clearing the fault.
So, in your house, when a bulb blows, you get an electrician to come and test it before any power is reinstated?
If you read what I said, until you know what the fault is power should not be re-instated. So if you are confident that it was just a lamp then fine.
And depending on the length of run and how much of that is under insulation you MAY need a 10mm but most of the time there is no need for a 10mm cable.
How do you run anything more than a 7,5kw shower then if it has to be on a 32a rcbo/mcb etc? Most showers these days are 8 - 10kw.
Luckily for me I don't deal with houses, far too much hassle all that fibre glass rubbish and highly annoying customers who complain about a bit of dust. Its all far too much effort lol
15 March 2013, 01:41 PM
#29
The electrician replaced the fuse wire having had a look around, when the lights were re-instated one of the bulbs had gone in the bathroom which was the issue, left for me to replace now I am back.
I don't think electrical wiring is ridiculously complex but if you get it wrong you can kill someone or burn your house down so I err on the side of caution, I make sure something is isolated very carefully before going anywhere near it and if I am not sure I call an Electrician in, the shower was just substituting one unit for another, three wires and I replaced the 9kw with another 9kw unit, there is a certain amount of common sense. I wired my "man hut" in, put a small consumer unit in, wired the lighting, the plugs, dug the two and a bit foot deep trench for seventy feet for the armored cable and then got the Sparks to come and check it all and connect it to the mains, otherwise I would never be 100 percent sure.
Before you put electricity through it, its just wires and stuff, with electricity flowing it is potentially lethal, well worth a few quid to get it done properly, plus you generally get a tidier job than if an Electrician is doing it as he never has to see it again !
I don't think electrical wiring is ridiculously complex but if you get it wrong you can kill someone or burn your house down so I err on the side of caution, I make sure something is isolated very carefully before going anywhere near it and if I am not sure I call an Electrician in, the shower was just substituting one unit for another, three wires and I replaced the 9kw with another 9kw unit, there is a certain amount of common sense. I wired my "man hut" in, put a small consumer unit in, wired the lighting, the plugs, dug the two and a bit foot deep trench for seventy feet for the armored cable and then got the Sparks to come and check it all and connect it to the mains, otherwise I would never be 100 percent sure.
Before you put electricity through it, its just wires and stuff, with electricity flowing it is potentially lethal, well worth a few quid to get it done properly, plus you generally get a tidier job than if an Electrician is doing it as he never has to see it again !
