Anyone know anything about electrics?

[blindswelledrat]

Ive got a house.
In that house are lots of lights.
Every other time I switch a light/set of lights a bulb 'goes'.
I replace about 10 bulbs each week.
What the sweet jesus is wrong?
Someone please tell me.

[puggit]

I know that you're not allowed to try and fix it, or Big Brother will fine you

nou labia

[nervous]

blindswelledrat said:

Ive got a house. In that house are lots of lights. Every other time I switch a light/set of lights a bulb 'goes'. I replace about 10 bulbs each week. What the sweet jesus is wrong? Someone please tell me.

not a sparky, but that sounds to me like your bulbs are practically acting as fuses. this cant be good.

[maxed]

puggit said:

I know that you're not allowed to try and fix it, or Big Brother will fine you nou labia

Just about sums it up

[pies]

Use long life bulbs/energy saving bulbs

[esselte]

blindswelledrat said:

Ive got a house. In that house are lots of lights. Every other time I switch a light/set of lights a bulb 'goes'. I replace about 10 bulbs each week. What the sweet jesus is wrong? Someone please tell me.

Does everything else work OK?

[puggit]

pies said:

Use long life bulbs/energy saving bulbs

You can't in a dimmer switch.

global warming

[Plotloss]

puggit said:

I know that you're not allowed to try and fix it, or Big Brother will fine you nou labia

Minor works are still allowed unless its a bathroom, kitchen or phsyically seperate building from the home...

[nervous]

is it the bulb in the same socket that goes every time? or different bulbs around the house? if its the same one, then youve just got something cross wired and no fuse to that switch. hence, no trip, just a pop.

*note: im guessing here, based on logical thinking. dont sue me*

[blindswelledrat]

pies said:

Use long life bulbs/energy saving bulbs

Done that where possible and it works but they are only 'oversize' thus wont fit in 90% of places in my house!

[tvrbob]

There are probably several ways this can happen. One that I have found is residual power going to earth somewhere. This can have the effect of surging systems as they are powered on or off and weak parts like lamp filaments will suffer first.

For this to be true your lamp fittings must be of the two pin type i.e. not screw in. Also the system can’t be protected by RCD. So if you have no RCD and pin bayonet light fittings then a leak to earth somewhere may be causing this.

[esselte]

Would an "overvoltage" in your supply cause this?

[wedg1e]

Stop buying your bulbs in Poundstretcher, you pikey...

[blindswelledrat]

It's more than one socket it is literally all of them.
They are mainly 'screw in' but they are a mixture.
It only appens when switching.

[tvrbob]

Are the switches old? Have they suffered dust contamination? If they spark badly when switching that could give enough surge to pop a filament.

[blindswelledrat]

Not at all. The house was completely refurbished before my arrival 3 years ago !
I don't know if it's related but I have a conservatory in which I have to leave the circuit switched off because it trips the house if I try to switch it off!
I assumed that once it was switched off, however, it could not affect the rest of the house!

[nervous]

blindswelledrat said:

Not at all. The house was completely refurbished before my arrival 3 years ago ! I don't know if it's related but I have a conservatory in which I have to leave the circuit switched off because it trips the house if I try to switch it off! I assumed that once it was switched off, however, it could not affect the rest of the house!

can anyone else smell burning cable?

[wedg1e]

blindswelledrat said:

Not at all. The house was completely refurbished before my arrival 3 years ago ! I don't know if it's related but I have a conservatory in which I have to leave the circuit switched off because it trips the house if I try to switch it off! I assumed that once it was switched off, however, it could not affect the rest of the house!

Could be damp in the wiring.

[esselte]

nervous said:

blindswelledrat said: Not at all. The house was completely refurbished before my arrival 3 years ago ! I don't know if it's related but I have a conservatory in which I have to leave the circuit switched off because it trips the house if I try to switch it off! I assumed that once it was switched off, however, it could not affect the rest of the house! can anyone else smell burning cable?

Like this?

[maxed]

blindswelledrat said:

Not at all. The house was completely refurbished before my arrival 3 years ago ! I don't know if it's related but I have a conservatory in which I have to leave the circuit switched off because it trips the house if I try to switch it off! I assumed that once it was switched off, however, it could not affect the rest of the house!

You need a qualified electrician pdq
If cons is tripping house ...there is a problem dating back to the refurb work
Did you ever get a PAT cert for the work on purchase of property??

>> Edited by maxed on Tuesday 24th January 16:47