Any electricians out there?

[batnurse]

Help! I'm sitting here in the dark as the fuse for my lights keeps flicking off. I've tried turning it back on again but it just keeps turning itself off again. Is this something I can sort out myself or do I have to get an electrician in tomorrow?

[Isis]

Just leave it a while and try again.

This happened to me once. The main fuse went out and kept flicking off when I tried to put it back on. I tried unplugging all my appliances but still no joy. Phoned Scottish Power who told me to phone an emergency electrician. The minute he arrived, it just clicked back on no problem. Needless to say he didn't believe that I had already tried that and acted as if I was the stupidest woman in the world

[Chef]

Originally Posted by batnurse

Help! I'm sitting here in the dark as the fuse for my lights keeps flicking off. I've tried turning it back on again but it just keeps turning itself off again. Is this something I can sort out myself or do I have to get an electrician in tomorrow?

From what you say it sounds like you have a circuit breaker rather than a fuse (because you can reset it - a fuse would need to be replaced).

If the wall sockets are still live then you will need to plug in some bedside lights (or any lights that plug into the wall) to give you some light to move around the house.

Circuit breakers are nicely sensitive and something like an incandesant bulb burning out can often trigger them but once that has happened you can ususally reset them. So if the fault persists it MAY indicate a more serious fault.

If you want to try one last thing (assuming you have some light available) try removing all the bulbs, resetting the circiut breaker (if it pops back out at this point then leave it alone, go to bed and call a professional in the morning), othewise try replacing the light bulbs one by one (checking the light bulbs by listening for the rattle of a burnt out filament before you do so) and ensuring that he circuit breaker stays in when you turn each light on one by one. If a new or working bulb in a light socket causes the breaker to pop out then leave it alone, you have done all you can, call a professional.

Hope this helps

[Keefy]

Have you tried turning off individual lights? I have seen a bulb blow in a manner that took out a fuse, if you can trace the problem to one light then try chainging the bulb?

[batnurse]

Thank everyone. One bulb did blow and when I changed it the new one didn't work either so I guess that's where it all started. I have got sockets working, so not sitting in the dark anymore, although the fuse went when I'd just got in the bath earlier
I'll try the whole bulb thingy tomorrow, I'm off to bed now - the electric blanket is still working

[ducasi]

Sounds like there's either a problem with the new bulb or the socket it is in.

Try another bulb, then do a visual inspection of the socket. Then if you can't get it to work, call an electrician.

[StokeBloke]

It's a shame Barry isn't there with you, from what I have seen of your comments the sun shines out of his.........

[martingold]

electrican to the rescue (albeit industrial but the basics are the same)
it could be what we call a lazy trip ie one that has tripped many times in the past they get to a stage when a small (or even no) fault will trip them these trips work on heat generated by too much current passing through a bi metal strip(two bits of metal with different heat expansion rates welded together so they bend when heated) which weakens when tripped a lot of times
So firstly as others have said on here give it time to cool down then turn off any circuit which is on the trip that will tell you if it could be a bulb or not (if a light is switched of then the bulb will not be connected to the trip) if this all fails call an electrician problem is without seeing it or asking a whole raft of questions its very dificult to diagnose this type of problem

[kiwi_clay]

Originally Posted by martingold

electrican to the rescue (albeit industrial but the basics are the same)
it could be what we call a lazy trip ie one that has tripped many times in the past they get to a stage when a small (or even no) fault will trip them these trips work on heat generated by too much current passing through a bi metal strip(two bits of metal with different heat expansion rates welded together so they bend when heated) which weakens when tripped a lot of times
So firstly as others have said on here give it time to cool down then turn off any circuit which is on the trip that will tell you if it could be a bulb or not (if a light is switched of then the bulb will not be connected to the trip) if this all fails call an electrician problem is without seeing it or asking a whole raft of questions its very dificult to diagnose this type of problem

Not an Electrician, but..
To check the suggestion above if you have removable circuit breakers you could swap one OF IDENTICAL RATING into the circuit and see if that helps (of course make sure this is not the one your fridge is on)

[dave the scaffolder]

Try taking the bulb out its socket wet your finger and turn on the lights, stick wet finger into socket and see what happens.

I actually did this when I was a young child and was flung across the room.

A burnt finger and a good hiding later i decided being a sparky was not the career path for me.

DTS Dave XXX XXX

[martingold]

Originally Posted by kiwi_clay

Not an Electrician, but..
To check the suggestion above if you have removable circuit breakers you could swap one OF IDENTICAL RATING into the circuit and see if that helps (of course make sure this is not the one your fridge is on)

it wont be if its the lighting circuit it should probably only be about 6 amps whereas the fridge will be on a circuit rated at 32 amps

I was taking her to the stage where she should get an electrician in
as i said i am an industrial electrician same basic stuff but completely different rules

Originally Posted by dave the scaffolder

Try taking the bulb out its socket wet your finger and turn on the lights, stick wet finger into socket and see what happens.

I actually did this when I was a young child and was flung across the room.

A burnt finger and a good hiding later i decided being a sparky was not the career path for me.

DTS Dave XXX XXX

I play with lots more volts than the ones you get in your home believe me it hurts more as well