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Is this normal? ie in more rural areas
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moneyistooshorttomention
Posts: 17,940 Forumite
It's very windy out there and I have electric lights flicking on/off AGAIN!. This is worrying me...as I've not encountered this before moving from my small city to rural-ish Wales.
Is this nothing whatsoever to do with my house...but just one of those things that happens sometimes in rural-ish Wales?
I've been used to electric cables being down underground and it doesn't matter a bit what the weather is like...as everything electric carried right on operating as per normal.
Here....I can see many electric cables (including the electric supply to my house personally) swinging around up there in mid-air hanging from visible wooden poles.
With that....the stronger winds than I am used to can swing those electric cables around. Back in Home Area...it was milder volume of wind level and the electric cables were down underground anyway....so thought didn't cross my mind that the weather might impact on it....
Is it "one of those things" in this set-up to have electric lights being a bit dicey in high winds (and its courtesy of those swinging in mid-air electric cables) or something else?
Is this nothing whatsoever to do with my house...but just one of those things that happens sometimes in rural-ish Wales?
I've been used to electric cables being down underground and it doesn't matter a bit what the weather is like...as everything electric carried right on operating as per normal.
Here....I can see many electric cables (including the electric supply to my house personally) swinging around up there in mid-air hanging from visible wooden poles.
With that....the stronger winds than I am used to can swing those electric cables around. Back in Home Area...it was milder volume of wind level and the electric cables were down underground anyway....so thought didn't cross my mind that the weather might impact on it....
Is it "one of those things" in this set-up to have electric lights being a bit dicey in high winds (and its courtesy of those swinging in mid-air electric cables) or something else?
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Comments
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We have an overhead supply here in Mid Derbys, it's blowing about a force 7 at present.
My light's don't flicker and my trips don't go out.
I think it's a very local issue, ie, isolated to the supply to your house only.I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.
Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)
Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed0 -
Thanks.
From what you say, it looks as if you think it isn't down to my house itself - but is down to the "hanging in mid-air" wires to my house personally?
Is that so? I do know next door neighbour also has same problem...though I have no idea exactly which way their electric supply is coming in (ie whether its via my "overhead wires" or from some other electric wires from an another neighbour of theirs).0 -
Yep. Rural peak park, same thing. You just get used to it in the end! I have the same high level washing lines waving around like mad and they stretch across huge fields, I'm amazed they don't snap - well they do sometimes.
Apart from flickering electricity, the other problem comes when the only tree to fall within miles, comes down bringing your electric 'washing lines' with it. No idea why trees away from cables don't fall, but it's always those next to cables that fall down!!!
Oh the joys of living in the countryside! Hope you've got plenty of candles in.
Looking forward to more snow
DS :snow_laug0 -
you can probably guess where I am by the user name, and it has been flickering all evening. but just because it is windy doesn't mean they will0
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Never had this problem untill we moved to Yorkshire.(enough Yorkshire jokes !)
Flickering lights, power off every gale, hours in the oil lamp gloom. Yes - the joys of country living but wouldn't change it for anything.
First thing in the morning buy a gas camping stove for hot brews. Better still - a gas barbeque for a fry up.
Learn to find a torch in the dark.
Now you are ready for a power cut. It happens I'm afraid but not too often.
Did happen Christmas Day a few years back but we remember that one more than any other. Happy days.
Good luck.0 -
Overhead supplies always have been always will be susceptible to damage from the winds etc it's a cheap way for the electricity companies to get the electric where it's needed.
Underground cables cost way more to install as they are generally a bigger sized cable and need the extra insulation on them etc, overhead wires on the other hand are smaller sized cables and require no insulation - there's more to it than that but I'm keeping things simple
Anyhow here in deepest darkest East Yorkshire it is exactly the same, we have an overhead supply and yes we get the lamps flickering all the time, along with power cuts at the first sign on a thunder storm, it's all part and parcel of living in the countryside.
Luckily we have solid fires so can keep warm and if needs be can cook on them as well.You may click thanks if you found my advice useful0 -
Electricity shouldn't flicker but in practice it will, occasionally.
If you have sustained or repeated serious flickering this indicates a poor connection somewhere on the line, so you should report it to the DNO (electricity distributor) i.e. SP Energy Networks in North Wales, or Western Power Distribution in South Wales. They probably won't do anything immediately if it's a widespread problem but it should be logged on their system and be aggregated with other fault reports.
If it's ONLY you and/or your immediate neighbours then this indicates a very local fault and you should advise the DNO of this, in particular if you have any fizzing, cracking, sparking etc from your main fuse (service cut out) then report this to the DNO as a matter of urgency.A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.0 -
Yeah we get the same in our village when it's very windy and sometimes the power gives out
Best make sure you're well stocked with alternative lighting, camping gaz and some tins of soup just to be sure
Never trust information given by strangers on internet forums0 -
Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »if you have any fizzing, cracking, sparking etc from your main fuse (service cut out) then report this to the DNO as a matter of urgency.
Last year our OH lines through the village were replaced with the multi core OH lines, the DNO engineers had to disconnect the Neutral from the service cut out and the main fuse whilst the works were being done.
On completing the works the engineer came back, tested the polarity (live) and earth connections and reconnected the supply fuse. In his rush to finish and get home he didn't check the neutral or even check to see if the house lights or sockets worked again.
I got home and the Mrs said, they'd finished but the power was still off. Not long after I noticed the neutral still hanging out of the terminal block at 240V potential :eek:
I could not believe what I was seeing, they had done everything reconnected the supply turned it back on and not checked the connections. Needless to say I took photos and cut the cut out seal to disconnect the supply. I reconnected the neutral and put the cut out back in then phoned their service team manager and explained what had just happened, they didn't believe me until I explained to them I was an electrician and had photos of everything. Within half an hour there were all manners of engineers and managers swarming around my house and the neighbours houses checking everything.
I think it's safe to say they S**T themselves as this could so have been a very different outcome, three days before these works a linesman was killed in the Newcastle area so the were very H&S aware. Profuse apologies from them, don't know what happened though to the numpty engineer !You may click thanks if you found my advice useful0 -
If the power does go off, you'll just have to watch TV by candlelight.
but seriously - keep the candles and the matches handy, and don't use the BBQ indoors.No longer a spouse, or trailing, but MSE won't allow me to change my username...0
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