Strange electrical issue? - Question for an electrician

[Deleted User]

Hi guys,

Bit of a strange one; there's a ring in my house that isn't behaving itself... I say ring, it appears to effect everything in series in a particular area of my house.

Starting with the kitchen, we have a dimmer switch, well seemingly anything we put in either of lights that are connected to it at the moment lasts about 2 days before they blow. Wasn't always like that, we've had normal, energy-efficient bulbs fitted for years in there before. - maybe we're just unlucky with our recent replacement bulb choices

The next issues is the outside light that is fed from the back of one of the kitchen's wall sockets. That light doesn't appear to blow any bulbs but it does flicker a lot, not ideal for an outside PIR wall light.

Finally, we've had a couple, so not isolated, of kitchen TV's that like to turn themselves on from standby. Not a problem in itself because it's usually switched off at the wall anyway, but again, not ideal.

It's not an old house (about 20 years) and what odd is that when a bulb blows pretty much anywhere else in the house, it trips the switch on the consumer unit.

Any ideas or if something simple? Otherwise I'm draughting in a spark on Monday. It's irritating me now

Thanks.

Head_The_Ball

Firstly, your kitchen dimmer switch should be on a lighting circuit and not on a ring circuit for power sockets so you may have two or more separate issues.

Secondly, the flickering outside bulb could be a fault in the bulb itself, a fault in the fitting or in the connection inside the kitchen socket. Can you check those?

A bulb blowing and tripping the switch (RCD presumably) is not uncommon as RCDs are rightly very sensitive. It is the price we pay for the protection they offer.

The TVs could possibly turn themselves on if a neighbour is using a remote control of a similar type to yours. Or maybe you have a Poltergeist. :eek:

No doubt others will also make comments and suggestions and one poster will soon be along to advise you to evacuate the house immediately and not return until you have had a full electrical check done. :whistle:

Heedtheadvice

An idea? Yes, get in a qualified registered electrician!
....and I'm simple....


Reason: the system needs testing and you need skill, knowledge, understanding, equipment and recording and reporting ability.

From your description it does seem that you have more than one problem maybe or maybe not related. For example you might have an intermittent joint, if your PIR lamp is flourescent or led it might just be a duff bulb, interference/spikes affecting the TV circuitry etc etc.

Edit: as prompted by head the ball......buy yourself a nuclear bunker!

EachPenny

As others have said, yours sounds like a case for a qualified electrician.

But in terms of the lights there is one self-help check you can do. Check to make sure the bulbs you are using are compatible with the dimmer

Non-dimable bulbs do not like being connected to dimmer switches so will not last long (could explain the frequent failing) and depending on the type of bulb and dimmer, one effect can be for the bulb to flicker. This is likely to be caused by the incompatibility between the electronics in the bulb and the electronics in the dimmer. If so, it could be generating 'noise' in the electrical circuit the dimmer/bulb is supplied from, which might in turn explain the flickering of the outside light if that is (as your description suggests) connected to the same circuit. If the outside light still flickers when the dimmable kitchen lights are off then it probably rules that out though.

This 'noise' might also be causing the TV problems - either electrically, or possibly that by chance the light is generating pulses at the right frequency to mimic the TV remote's 'on' command.

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys! Been doing a bit of research today and I've got BG home care coming out on Tuesday

Will report back their findings.