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Electrics help
So yesterday I had a new landing light fitted, its a fixed chandelier type. It was fine when I first tried it but later on it started flickering so I changed the bulb in case it was a bad one but it still flickered. At 5.30am the smoke alarm starts beeping like it needs new batteries but its hardwired, i have googled this and apparently even if hardwired there is a back-up battery. I have never heard the smoke alarm beep before so its got to be something to do with the new light fitting.
I am waiting for the electrician to get back to me but am worried if he doesnt, how can I stop the bloody alarm beeping?
Help please
I am waiting for the electrician to get back to me but am worried if he doesnt, how can I stop the bloody alarm beeping?
Help please
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Its also possible there is an issue with the electrics causing the battery to run down as it was not on mains power.
Sounds like you are already taking the best course of action in getting an electrician involved.
Thanks Tsietisin. What does the bit in bold mean? I will have a go at replacing the battery later, it just seems too much of a coincidence after the work being done yesterday.
You should change the batteries every year or so as if theres a fire in the fuseboard hows it supposed to get power to tell you?
I thought that was the point of hardwiring them, to be honest the alarm is old so could do with being replaced anyway. Any idea why the light would be flickering?
Also if the mains had been disconnected to the alarm during the wiring work and the alarm had an old battery it could well have run out of juice in the meantime. Or it could be the battery is only designed to power the alarm for a short period anyway.
Flickering light could be anything. A dodgy fitting, dodgy wiring, incompetent fitting or even the light switch is dodgy.
My dad cant see a battery in the alarm. Its an old EI Eectronics one. He cant even see where a battery should go!! Could it be a tiny little thing? Have spoke to the electrician and he said about it running out of juice. The bulb needed for the fitting was an ES/GLS 60w, but I think I have put an LED one in. The guy in B&Q told me that was what I needed, but I dont think it is. LED are not energy saving are they.
Did you change the ceiling rose when the chandelier was fitted. It sounds as if the wires in the ring main have not been secured (screwed down) properly. This could cause the flickering and stop the mains to the smoke alarm. My mains powered smoke alarm has a 9v PP3 battery under the cover where the mains wires are plugged in.
It sounds like that one. The unit should have been replaced in 2012 (oops!). My dad has disconnected something to stop it from beeping and I will get a new one. The mains was restored yesterday so the rechargeable batteries must be goosed.
Thanks so much for looking on their website, I had a quick look but couldent find anything battery related.
Maybe it wasnt a an LED then as it was only £1.98
Yep, the ceiling rose was changed. The electrician said it could be something to do with the dimmer switch, but that makes sense what you are saying. The electrician will come back out to have a look at some point but at least the bloody smoke alarm has stopped beeping!!
Also I was looking at a random Phillips LED lamp on t'interweb and it mentioned something about a "sparkle effect" whatever that is. Wonder if that is the "flicker" you are seeing and it's actually a design feature of the bulb?
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/8718291192749/led-4-w-25-w-e14-cap-warm-white
When you say lamp do you mean bulb or the actual light fitting? Think I'm the only dimmable thing at the moment
My dad is now saying its the dimmer switch, its stuck on low now but yesterday before the new fitting it was fine. I need to double check the bulb when I get in and make sure its the right one as I have read a number of things about LED and dimmers. My ma & pa have the same light fitting, and that isnt flickering with the same bulb.
Though our wonderful English language allows one to freely interchange lamp and bulb as terms for for the thing that lights up. And to add to the fun, lamp - the thing that lights up - and lamp - the thing you stick the thing that lights up into. Confused yet? :D
Oh I am Its highly likely I will have flowers coming out of my light fittings and a nice bright garden at this rate
Will double check that the lamp is dimmable (getting there!).
Time for a glass of wine.
if you're feeling like a go..switch off the power, take off the dimmer switch and using a choc block connect the 2 wires that go into the back of the switch together L1 & comm and turn on the power and if the flicker stops then its the dimmer is not compatiable with the light fitting...turn off power and put the switch back on...good idea to take a photo of everything before you start just in case you get confused
I would disagree - a 'bulb' is (or was) what you stick in a lamp
Plenty of references to 'light bulbs; but never seen one for a 'light lamp'
Thanks for this but I'm confused just reading it!! It took me 30 mins in b&q working out which bulb/lamp I needed. I still had to get the man from decoration to help me. Im useless!!
The light has now stopped flickering, its just permanently dim (bit like myself ;-))