Flickering lights in our new house!!

alumende27

We had flickering lights in our living room when we moved into our current house. Problem found the next day when the dimmer switch caught fire!!

To answer your question, no.

It's not likely to be anything very costly, probably just a loose connection somewhere, shouldn't take an electrican long to pinpoint.

evansc1

G_M wrote: »

And you took advice from a bunch of anonymous sados on the internet and decided to save the cost of an elecical report, gambling that those sados knew that the electrics were fine.........

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

think it may have been you giving the advice :rotfl:

more fool me - lesson learnt ha

evansc1

Alter_ego wrote: »

What type of bulbs? Fluorescents?

A mixture in several rooms...

Getting someone in - a single loose connection hopefully!

evansc1

GoldenShadow wrote: »

Unfortunately people on here usually say don't worry..!

Our electrics came up as dated but we just expected to need to update when we moved in and we did. Lots of things weren't dangerous but weren't really done right either and the gas and water needed bonding. Cost us a grand in the end but means the house is as safe as it can be electrically and if anything will help us when we come to sell.

We thought the same with the boiler too. Expected it to cop out but touch wood it's been OK so far. The seller was never going to budge on price and in Sept last year we had already had a house fall through and there was nothing around that we liked. Even now there is still very little I have seen that I would want to buy. Older houses are more expensive than I anticipated though!

Thanks GS and yeah us lot all being specialists (in our minds) of every subject can be a nightmare for some people needing advice on here!!

Getting someone in this week (when an electrician can be bothered)! Hoping it's just a loose ocnnection ha

evansc1

Davesnave wrote: »

I may be a saddo, but no way am I a sado....

It's unlikely all the wiring is failing simultaneously. If someone skilled can test with a meter, they may find a fault and rectify it quite cheaply. You can then plan and budget for improvements later.

There, not sadistic at all. :A

Really appreciate a serious response :beer:

(Even though I do enjoy the banter too )

ManuelG

G_M wrote: »

And you took advice from a bunch of anonymous sados on the internet and decided to save the cost of an elecical report, gambling that those sados knew that the electrics were fine.........

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Never trust a dominatrix with wiring.

AnotherJoe

The advice not to bother may well have been right statistically even if the OP would have been better off.

If on average lets say it costs £100 to have a report and only 1 in 10 need work at all, and that work costs on average £250, you are still better off not doing it unless you have specific reason to expect an issue. Otherwise you could argue that on every house you buy you should have a full electric, gas, drainage, foundations etc etc survey "just in case".

So, I think the saddos were right unless as the OP entered the house he got a shock from a light switch or he noted smoke wisping from the lights in which case a check would have been warranted.

evansc1

AnotherJoe wrote: »

The advice not to bother may well have been right statistically even if the OP would have been better off.

If on average lets say it costs £100 to have a report and only 1 in 10 need work at all, and that work costs on average £250, you are still better off not doing it unless you have specific reason to expect an issue. Otherwise you could argue that on every house you buy you should have a full electric, gas, drainage, foundations etc etc survey "just in case".

So, I think the saddos were right unless as the OP entered the house he got a shock from a light switch or he noted smoke wisping from the lights in which case a check would have been warranted.

Fair point OJ!

SunReader

Your lighting works on a loop, so one bad connection could affect the whole chain. Luckily you can see it flickering hence the post here.

Your sockets work on a ring, so even if one set of conductors were damaged your sockets would still appear to be working - even if dangerously overloaded.

Ignore the previous 'don't worry about it' advice, get a pro in with the right test equipment. Do it before you have funrnished and carpeted the place if possible.

HouseBuyer77

Your lighting works on a loop, so one bad connection could affect the whole chain. Luckily you can see it flickering hence the post here.

Your sockets work on a ring, so even if one set of conductors were damaged your sockets would still appear to be working - even if dangerously overloaded.

Both lighting and socket circuits will use a ring. If there is a dodgy connection somewhere it's easier to notice for lighting as a fluctuating power supply can cause flicker. A plugged in appliance may not show any issues with a dodgy connection as the capacitors in the power supply provide some measure of smoothing so they don't notice the 'flicker' in the same way the lights do.