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Electics advise, LIghts tripping
I had a problem a few months ago with the downstairs lights setting off the trip switch, after a day or so it was ok.
Now its started again.
The trip switch has been going off this afternoon, all work but for the downstairs lights. I have put the trip switch on and put each separate fuse section and and they all work but for the downstairs light.
I dont have any lights on and it still trips when I put that fuse up. I dont want to mess around and open the box up to take the fuse out in case I botch things up.
If anyone has any quick suggestions I would be grateful, if not then it seems I will have to find an electrician tomorrow.
Now its started again.
The trip switch has been going off this afternoon, all work but for the downstairs lights. I have put the trip switch on and put each separate fuse section and and they all work but for the downstairs light.
I dont have any lights on and it still trips when I put that fuse up. I dont want to mess around and open the box up to take the fuse out in case I botch things up.
If anyone has any quick suggestions I would be grateful, if not then it seems I will have to find an electrician tomorrow.
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ok thanks for the advise, i phoned a friend and he asked if the fust had gone in the piece thats tripping. I cant pull the individual pieces out without unscrewing the front off the the box which I dont want to do.
I found a video online...they only have 1 fuse channel and I have around 8 for various things - cooker, upstairs lights, downstairs lights etc.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-change-a-fuse-in-a-traditional-fuse-box
Will have to find someone tomorrow I guess who knows.
If it is just tripping, the trip switch will isolate the entire system, and you will lose everything. This is usually a measurement of earth conductance, in other words, a small amount of electricity is leaking from live or neutral into earth, this normally happens when a part of the circuit gets wet, like a light fitting from a leaky pipe for instance. It is designed this way so that the danger of electrocution from touching any source of water like a tap is minimised. This can be a real pain in winter, as condensation can set it off and the source of the fault can be really difficult to find.
If the circuit breakers are tripping for one circuit only, which it sounds like from your description, this is potentially far more dangerous. Circuit breakers are usually designed to trip when a current level is exceeded, even if it is only 5 amps, it is potentially 1.250 Watts - more than enough to electrocute anyone or cause an electrical fire.
In that case, leave the fuse alone and get an electrician to take a look. This type of fault is potentially worse, but the fault is usually easier to trace in these cases.
Sounds like you have a faulty light fitting or light switch.
Get it checked out by an electrician. Your council website might have a list of recommended electricians.
Do not frighten people. They are also designed to trip on a fault condition such as an earth fault.
Your fusebox isn't like that though is it. Does it have MCBs (minature circuit breakers) in a consumer unit.
Something like this
And an earth fault isn't dangerous ?
If it's tripping then there is a fault, it could easily be the actual MCB itself that is faulty, or a problem in the circuit. Get it looked at as its not something a layman can solve (or is legally allowed to solve).
It could be, but as the unit has tripped the circuit is isolated. The post I responded to suggested the circuit current was being exceeded that's why MCBs trip. I didn't once suggest ignoring it.
In my previous post I recommended getting an electrician to look at it.
In answer to some of the previous posts, the amount of current required to trip various fuses, and what time they trip in varies between different types and values of fuses/MCB's and is probably not relevant to the problem. What the OP has is a fault, and the protective device did what it was supposed to do - automatically isolate the circuit when a fault occurred.
For tonight, can you plug in a standard lamp or table lamp to get you some light? Obviously NOT in the bathroom! Take in a battery powered torch. You do need to get this looked at by a qualified sparky though to find and rectify the fault.
Well, he's right! They DON'T like the cold. Nor do they last any longer than standard lamps. The figures quoted for lamp life are dependant on them being on 24/7 - in a normal house whereby they will be switched on and off frequently the rated life plummets to the same as a conventional incandescent lamp. Plus the CFL lamps will sometimes flicker on two way lighting circuits and the cure is a different brand of CFL or put in an incandescent lamp. In addition they lose light output towards the end of their life.
CFL's really are not the answer to the green issue - education people to turn stuff off was. But hey-ho, the greenies know best....
So why are all our bulbs going now? It never happened in the past and it's been colder. Plus, we've used them outside with no issues (they're on a different circuit).
We felt a little bit fobbed off because he couldn't be bothered checking.
There are some tests an electrician can do to the circuit to make sure that the wiring is safe and that the trip devices are operating correctly, but none of these affect lamp life. Lamps blow mainly because of quality, usage and environmental factors. The only test that the electrician can do that might have a bearing on lamp life is to measure the supply voltage. If it's higher than it's supposed to be that might make a difference. However, the voltage at the time he visits may be normal so that tells you nothing. Sometimes there are big variations in the supply but it's ultimately the electricity suppliers issue and there is nothing much the householder or electrician can do.
Personally, I'd suggest keeping a stock of lamps and changing them when they pop. I doubt if you will ever find a reason for lamp failures, and really they are a lot more cheaply made than they used to be - which is probably the main reason they go ultimately.
Thanks for your information. I have a few lamps on downstairs and a torch to hand. The lights upstairs work. I did have to replace a bulb in one of the living room lights a few days ago and when I turned the light on yesterday it flickered a little and came on a second after the others. I did put in a 40watt bulb (there are 3 on the same fitting and the other two are 60watts - so maybe this caused a problem?). I have removed the bulb but this hasnt sorted the tripping.
I will see if I can find an electrician asap.
I can't see what it's got anything to do with the mains voltage. The mains supply voltage is 240V give or take 6% (I think it may have changed in the 17th IEE regs +10% / -6%) by law the supply companies have to stay within those limits. Nonetheless the lamps are designed to work well above and below those limits, and this has nothing to do with the tripping
The fault is more likely be:-
An electrician will do an insulation test (a tester that puts 500v down the wires) and will check the rest visually, none of which a OP is likely to be able do or diagnose or fix without putting themselves in danger of electrocution. I'd go with Stewie_C advice in post #11.
The mains voltage supplied is not regulated by the 17th edition - that is wiring of the installation. The supplied voltage comes under ESQCR regulations. The 17th edition introduced new limits on the voltage drop within an installation, and that affects cable sizing in the design and installation phase.
I am aware that the lamps are SUPPOSED to work on a variety of voltages, but my career also includes electronics, and if you run electronic equipment near the top range of it's capabilities it is more likely to develop faults. The CFL lamp contains an electronic circuit board, and it's possible that it could under perform if it's fed with a voltage that's constantly too high, or subject to spikes. I have regularly measured voltages in excess of 250 in domestic properties round here, and although most equipment is designed to cope with a varying range of voltages, this type of voltage on a regular basis is probably pushing it!
In the case of the OP's fault, all the items listed I have seen on a regular basis, and I did wonder if the OP has a fault with water or condensation in an outside light fitting as it's a downstairs circuit and exterior lights are a common cause of problems. However, without seeing the installation it's not for me to offer a fault diagnosis. I'd be interested to know the outcome though.
Are you sure about the legality issue
A householder is allowed to replace one fitting (socket, light switch, etc) with an identical replacement, so why should an MCB be any different
The outside lights are ok a different circuit and are working ok. I had wondered if it was something to do with them at first as we had rain yesterday for the first time in a while.
I have turned every switch off and just put the downstairs lights switch on and it still trips. Still trying to find an electrician today...think I will have to manage with lamps until one is back in work.
With regard to a loose wire, nothing has been disturbed except for changing a bulb in a ceiling light a couple of weeks ago. All wires are bedded into the wall so none are trailing etc.
Thanks everyone for your sugestions, much appreciated.
The harmonised supply voltage was changed from 240v to 230v but then they allowed greater tolerances to +10% So you will see voltages ranging from 216.2v – 253V. (even under the old supply regulations when it used to a 240 V standard you could find voltages up to 254.4 V)
You will note that the OP said
That sounds like the light switch is off, and the circuit still trips. I am sorry but I can't see how its a light-bulb fault, when there is no power to it.
Well Bob if its the old Wylex type of MCB that just pull out, then yes, you could pull a 6A MCB out and swap it with another 6A and test the circuit to see if its a faulty MCB.
However on newer fuseboxes you would have to remove the cover and unless you take out the MAIN FUSE that fusebox is LIVE (even if you turn the fuseboard switch off) and it would not be a good idea for a layman to be working in and around live circuits. (btw to remove the MAIN FUSE you would need to cut the wire seals. Those seals would not be there if you were allowed to just cut them at will)
Under the last government all sorts of stuff that home-owners were able to do legally (including doing their own wiring and repairs) were more or less outlawed. (it wasn't me that did it, and I don't agree with a lot of it, but they passed it as law now)
DIY Electrical Work and the "Law"