Downstairs lights blowing fuses -- HELP!!

[odyssey2200]

I have been at the DIY for a few days now.

Painted the Lounge, new carpet and moved all the furniture back in on Friday night.

Today I set about doing the same in the dining room.

I have been in and out of the garage all day and have left the garage light on for most of the morning.

This afternoon I turned everything off and went off to get mome paint and when I cam home none of the down stairs lights worked.

I checked the fuse box and found a blown 5 amp fuse.

I replaced it and all worked fine..... for about 3 mins when the fuse blew again.

I have found thet the few only last a few mins even with all the lights turned off.

My limited knowledge of domestic wiring suggests a short on the main ring feed or feed to a switch


Any sparkies out there with any suggestions?

[Plotloss]

You've not screwed/nailed into a wire somewhere have you?

[odyssey2200]

Plotloss said:

You've not screwed/nailed into a wire somewhere have you?

No

I haven't put any scwers in anywhere.

I have been going nuts trying to think of things I might have done to cause it but can't think of anything.

The only thing I have done to a wall is take a small picture hook down in the dining room but the lights were fine for hours after that.

Strange that the fuse does not blow straight away

[headcase]

Blowing with all light off normally = a short but only if it goes instantly, if its the old fuse wire type fuse box they normally go with a bang too! If its a modern MCB type fuse box your gunna have to remove all the switches and ceiling roses and check the cables are all connected good and propper as even a loose N can cause a trip.

If its going after a while the most common thing is the screw trminals within the fusebox can become loose and begin to arc, eventually causing a blown fuse.

ALL OF THIS IS FOR A SPARKY to fix unless you are a very compitant person.

Seriously, if you dont know what you are doing you can actually DIE.

[CoolC]

When you painted did you remove any light switches?

[odyssey2200]

Thanks Headcase

If it was something that was after the fuse box I am happy enough to have a look at it.

Inside the fuse box is a big for me.
I guess I will sit in the dark or do upstairs where the lights are OK, until I can get a sparks to look at it next week.

CoolC

I did take the screws out of the lounge light switch but it has been back for over a week now with no probs until today.

I have taken it out again today to have a look but nothing visible.

Edited by odyssey2200 on Saturday 2nd May 21:15

[Simpo Two]

headcase said:

Seriously, if you dont know what you are doing you can actually DIE.

Indeed - as a friend of my cousin's husband did. He was working on a power socket which he thought he'd isolated - but the electrics had been bodged by a previous owner, and while he was working on it, something switched on and the circuit went live. He went dead.

[odyssey2200]

Simpo Two said:

headcase said:

Seriously, if you dont know what you are doing you can actually DIE.

Indeed - as a friend of my cousin's husband did. He was working on a power socket which he thought he'd isolated - but the electrics had been bodged by a previous owner, and while he was working on it, something switched on and the circuit went live. He went dead.

Is the fuse box dead if I switch the mains off

I could check the connections on the one fuse

[headcase]

No the fuse box is still live, the switch is in the fusebox so one side of it is always live, the only way to kill the fusebox is to pull out the Electricity providers main fuse and this is protected with a security seal, if it gets broke then you get in trouble.

Leave the fuse box to the pros, you can do the sockets if you are compitant but if you are asking here then honestly its likely you arnt. ( i mean that in a nice way)

[odyssey2200]

headcase said:

No the fuse box is still live, the switch is in the fusebox so one side of it is always live, the only way to kill the fusebox is to pull out the Electricity providers main fuse and this is protected with a security seal, if it gets broke then you get in trouble.

Leave the fuse box to the pros, you can do the sockets if you are compitant but if you are asking here then honestly its likely you arnt. ( i mean that in a nice way)

none taken!!

I will finish checking the roses and switches tomorow but TBH there is very little to see.
3 x 3 core wires all connected to each other in a seemingly random way.

Nothing seems loose so far, but i have managed to damage the ceiling though

SWMBO is not best chuffed about that either.

[Deva Link]

headcase said:

No the fuse box is still live, the switch is in the fusebox so one side of it is always live, the only way to kill the fusebox is to pull out the Electricity providers main fuse and this is protected with a security seal, if it gets broke then you get in trouble.

Leave the fuse box to the pros, you can do the sockets if you are compitant but if you are asking here then honestly its likely you arnt. ( i mean that in a nice way)

Even pulling the main fuse isn't absolutely certain, especially in flats and dodgily wired council houses where sockets are wired through the party wall from a convenient socket in the neighbour's house!

[steve_amv8]

odyssey2200 said:

I did take the screws out of the lounge light switch but it has been back for over a week now with no probs until today.

I have taken it out again today to have a look but nothing visible.

Are you sure the wires within the mounting box for the light switch are not behind the screw holes? Amazing how may people screw the switch back on and chew straight through the live without knowing....

.... or failing that, maybe you've gained a friendly mouse/rat/squirrel

[odyssey2200]

steve_amv8 said:

.... or failing that, maybe you've gained a friendly mouse/rat/squirrel

That did cross my mind as the fuse box is in the garage but thought that would be either an open circuit or would blow as soon as I put a new fuse in.

Edited by odyssey2200 on Saturday 2nd May 22:31

[Simpo Two]

odyssey2200 said:

I will finish checking the roses and switches tomorow but TBH there is very little to see. 3 x 3 core wires all connected to each other in a seemingly random way.

Ha, welcome to the bafflement that is the Ring Main! I discovered it years ago when fitting a new bathroom light. I took the rose off expecting to see two wires. One of those genuine 'WTF?' moments!

[odyssey2200]

Simpo Two said:

odyssey2200 said:

I will finish checking the roses and switches tomorow but TBH there is very little to see. 3 x 3 core wires all connected to each other in a seemingly random way.

Ha, welcome to the bafflement that is the Ring Main! I discovered it years ago when fitting a new bathroom light. I took the rose off expecting to see two wires. One of those genuine 'WTF?' moments!

LOL

I had some experiance a few years ago.

I fitted a new light in the utility room.

Turned off the electric, swapped the light fitting and turned the electric back on.
Walked into the room and the light was on
Flicked the switch and the light was on...still

and thats when the swearing started..

[odyssey2200]

FIXED IT!!

traced to the dimmer switch in the dining room which was causing the short!

You should have seen the flash from the switch when it blew


Thanks foe all your help and suggestions, guys!

I am soooo relieved to not have to call out a sparky.

Edited by odyssey2200 on Sunday 3rd May 21:18

[Simpo Two]

odyssey2200 said:

Turned off the electric, swapped the light fitting and turned the electric back on.
Walked into the room and the light was on
Flicked the switch and the light was on...still

and thats when the swearing started..

The alternative is when you switch on and the light only comes on at half brightness. Probably parallel instead of series. Or possibly the other way round. Funny stuff, electricity. As long as it doesn't kill you you always have a chance of sorting it out



ETA: The only other thing I can think of that you can't see but can kill you is a V2...

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 3rd May 21:32

[tubbystu]

Simpo Two said:

ETA: The only other thing I can think of that you can't see but can kill you is a V2...

Carbon monoxide

[odyssey2200]

tubbystu said:

Simpo Two said:

ETA: The only other thing I can think of that you can't see but can kill you is a V2...

Carbon monoxide

OK 2 things

Electricity
Carbon Monoxide and
Radiation

no,no 3 things

[Simpo Two]

V2s are more interesting though.