Just Moved In, Lights Dimming, How Dodgy?
Discussion
We'll be getting an electrician in to look at rewiring the place as we knew we'd be doing that anyway when we bought it, but in the meantime....
Occasionally, the lights in three adjacent rooms of our recently purchased 1970s bungalow stop working, usually by going out, then when we flick the switch a second time they come on dimly for a split second then go out again (incandescent bulbs, the low energy ones flash briefly).
If I leave them a while, they come on as normal, then sometimes go out again.
Nothing seems to be getting hot at the switch, the pendants or the junction box in the loft (old style round box) but in the junction box there is a neutral connected to a live as far as I can make out (brown and blue on same terminal), would there ever be an instance where this is done, and if not, wouldn't something trip? (if you hadn't already guessed, I'm not experienced in electrical stuff, just posses a modicum of common sense).
WTF is going on and should I be concerned (more than I am already)?
As the place is on storage heaters we're planning to fit GCH and at the same time get the place rewired, the place is still on the 1970s fuse boxes, we need more power points anyway and the wiring is a bit hit and miss even to my inexperienced eyes, but in the meantime, is there anything I can look at to make the lights work/stop the house burning down or should I just get a decent electrician out asap?
Occasionally, the lights in three adjacent rooms of our recently purchased 1970s bungalow stop working, usually by going out, then when we flick the switch a second time they come on dimly for a split second then go out again (incandescent bulbs, the low energy ones flash briefly).
If I leave them a while, they come on as normal, then sometimes go out again.
Nothing seems to be getting hot at the switch, the pendants or the junction box in the loft (old style round box) but in the junction box there is a neutral connected to a live as far as I can make out (brown and blue on same terminal), would there ever be an instance where this is done, and if not, wouldn't something trip? (if you hadn't already guessed, I'm not experienced in electrical stuff, just posses a modicum of common sense).
WTF is going on and should I be concerned (more than I am already)?
As the place is on storage heaters we're planning to fit GCH and at the same time get the place rewired, the place is still on the 1970s fuse boxes, we need more power points anyway and the wiring is a bit hit and miss even to my inexperienced eyes, but in the meantime, is there anything I can look at to make the lights work/stop the house burning down or should I just get a decent electrician out asap?
oldcynic said:
Sometimes the simple answers are the best - check that all the electrical connections are properly tightened up. The screws can eventually work loose.
DO NOT move any of the wires around. They are unlikely to be connected in the wrong order.
DO NOT move any of the wires around. They are unlikely to be connected in the wrong order.
Trust me, I shan't be changing anything unless it's to disconnect.I have already found one loose wire in a light switch, plan for this evening was to go round each socket and switch looking for loose wires.
VxDuncan said:
I would suspect the back emf / surge current off the energy saving light bulbs has nucked the dimmer switches. Nasty things.
No dimmers, just vintage 1973 on/off switches. Picture Abigail's Party and you're in the right mood for the house.But it's big, was cheap and won a load of awards in Sweden for it's energy efficiency in it's day so it's ripe for doing up (hence the eventual rewire).
Has under-ceiling heating too (yes, it's between the joists, acres of black plastic electric matting attached to thermostats in each room), I suppose in the 70's when electricity was soon to be 'too cheap to bother metering' it seemed like a good idea.
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