Is it illegal to install a radiator that cannot be turned of?

stator

FixenVixen wrote: »

Hi Useful Male

I really appreciate your comment, I think it is getting me on the road to perhaps figuring out what the problem is.

Could someone please tell me what arcing means though?

Arcing is when electricity jumps from one place to another, like lightning. It is possible in faulty goods or badly designed equipment.

dickibobboy

You initially say it’s the boiler so why not turn the gas off and turn the electric supply to the boiler off at the fuse box for 24 hours and see if the problem is still there?

You now may think it could be an electrical problem somewhere else, why not switch off the full supply for the house at the fuse box for just one night?

I know some may say how would you cope with everything off for a whole day/night or even just night but if it’s really as bad as you make out and making you ill i’m sure it would be the first thing most people would try?

FixenVixen

Okay, so far now the Electrician came here and he discovered that the Transformer in the hallway under the Electric Panel thing that connects to the Intercom inside the house and outside the front door was charred black and 21 years old. So he replaced that, and he believes that was at least part of the problem.

And he told me that he is putting in his notes to the Housing Associations that if I call the Emergency place at night to send someone out to witness the smells. So finally I will have that, at least.

He told me this may only be part of the problem though and that if the smells still persist that he will come out here and go through everything again until they sort out the problem.

And also the Church People are coming out here tomorrow night to stay here and witness the smells for me if it still does smell. The Housing Officer and the Inspector came out too and the Electrician showed them the charred Intercom Transformer.

And so I am very happy that at least it looks like the problem is on its way to being solved, hopefully. And at least the Housing Officer and Inspector might stop trying to make like I am just making up all of this.

FixenVixen

dickibobboy wrote: »

You initially say it’s the boiler so why not turn the gas off and turn the electric supply to the boiler off at the fuse box for 24 hours and see if the problem is still there?

You now may think it could be an electrical problem somewhere else, why not switch off the full supply for the house at the fuse box for just one night?

I know some may say how would you cope with everything off for a whole day/night or even just night but if it’s really as bad as you make out and making you ill i’m sure it would be the first thing most people would try?

Thank you for your suggestion, I am copying and pasting it on a notepad and if the problem persists I will send this to them and see if they will do that for me. They don't want me messing with anything like that so they would have to do it.

FixenVixen

stator wrote: »

Arcing is when electricity jumps from one place to another, like lightning. It is possible in faulty goods or badly designed equipment.

OKay that makes sense then if the plug wasn't pushed in properly that it would act that way.

I asked them to check the outlet and all of that where the stuff is all plugged in at the doorway.

The Electrician told me that I shouldn't have the long extension cord all wound up like it is, an that it can cause it to get hot and so forth. I was just trying to keep my cst from getting all tangled up in the wires back there. But he told me to just get a shorter extension surge thing and use that.

I am not sure if that could cause the arcing thing too maybe. I am clueless when it comes to Electrics.

FixenVixen

molerat wrote: »

Energy saving lightbulbs can also make a stink when the electronics start to fail.

This house doesn't have any of those kinds of light bulbs, just the regular type. But thanks for letting me know that though. A long time ago I had read something bad about those kinds of light bulbs and so I stopped using those,

jk0

FixenVixen wrote: »

The Electrician told me that I shouldn't have the long extension cord all wound up like it is, an that it can cause it to get hot and so forth. I was just trying to keep my cst from getting all tangled up in the wires back there. But he told me to just get a shorter extension surge thing and use that.

I don't know what a CST is, but having extension cords wound up is a sure fire way to cook them. Don't do it!

FixenVixen

jk0 wrote: »

I don't know what a CST is, but having extension cords wound up is a sure fire way to cook them. Don't do it!

This is probably a silly question but, I unraveled the surge protector. Would it still be okay to use now since it is still working? Or do you think I ought to throw it out and get a new one just in case? What I mean is.... do you think that the safety of it may have been compromised from being wound up previously for so long?

FixenVixen

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Also check your light fittings, ceiling lights and any other you have such as lamps or spotlights. I had a peculiar smell that I realised was only present in the evening and it turned out to be a plastic light fitting that had degraded and was letting off a horrible smell when it got hot. No sign of any arcing and the bulb type and wattage was suitable for the fitting, but something had happened because the plastic was a yellowed colour and stank. Replacing the fitting cost a few quid and solved the problem.

Okay I will check them all. But this is one of the things that puzzles me, that it mainly does this during the night, when nothing is really in use.

jk0

FixenVixen wrote: »

This is probably a silly question but, I unraveled the surge protector. Would it still be okay to use now since it is still working? Or do you think I ought to throw it out and get a new one just in case? What I mean is.... do you think that the safety of it may have been compromised from being wound up previously for so long?

I guess it might be okay until you get to the shops, but if you have been running something of more than 1kw from a wound up extension lead for any length of time, you should aim to replace the extension lead.