Downstairs Lights Keep Blowing Fuse

[sapp81]

Hi

I'm hoping for some help or to be pointed in the right direction.

Went to bed last night downstairs lights worked fine. Got up this morning could not get any of the downstairs lights to work everywhere else upstairs and all the sockets are working fine. We found it was the fuse for the downstairs lights had blown so replaced it. After about 15 -20 minutes it blew again. And then tried another 2 times and the same happened. Decided to try different lights on at different times to see what happened. The porch and hallway are both on the same switch so tried that first, they are both energy light saving bulbs we waited about 35 minutes and everything was fine so thought it wasn't that causing the problem. We switched those lights off and went onto the kitchen, the bulbs in there are spotlights 3 bulbs in total 1 of which has been blown for about 4 months, after 15 minutes this blew the fuse. So we thought it must be the kitchen. Put another new fuse in made sure kitchen lights were off and just had the living room lights on. In the living you there are to sets of ceiling lights both with 3 bulbs each. There is an individual switch for each of these lights on the same board and they are dimmer switches. After 20 minutes the fuse blew. So now totally confused as to where the problem may be. We haven't looked at any of the bulbs individually as of yet.

Can anyone help?

 

[sparkyspike]

It's not likely to be a problem with any of your lights directly, more likely the wiring. This is because more than only one light operating will blow the fuse. It sounds like a neutral fault. Do you have an RCD fitted? What type of fuse is blowing - cartridge or rewireable? Do you have mice? Do you know an electrician?

 

[sapp81]

Hi

Not very good at all this technical stuff.

It is a BS1361 5amp fuse which keeps blowing. Don't know if that is cartridge or rewireable.

Not sure what an RCD is sorry.

Funny you should mention mice we used to have a problem with mice getting into the house and we blocked up where they were coming in. But just last week on 2 occasions I think I may have heard them in the floor boards between the ceiling and upstairs. If a mouse had chewed the wire though would that not make the lights not work at all?

Unfortunately don't know an electrician so wanted advice first before calling someone in.

 

[sparkyspike]

1361 is a cartridge fuse. Doesn't make much difference really, just trying to establish the kind of system you have. An RCD is a device next to your fuseboard (usually) which may have RCD, ELCB or RCCB printed on it. It trips due to an earth fault.

Apart from visually inspecting the cables, there's not much else you can do other than get an electrician over with test equipment to trace the fault. Go to competentperson.co.uk to find an electrician if you don't know of one.

 

[sapp81]

Yeah think that is what we are going to have to do. Was hoping it was a simple fuse problem.

There is something located next to the fuse board it says isolating transformer on it and has other things wrote on it but doesn't have any of those things on it.

 

[sparkyspike]

Ok. I think that's a doorbell transformer. Well, best of luck.

 

[sapp81]

Yeah now you mention it the doorbell is on the same circuit for the fuse forgot about that.

Hope this isn't going to cost a fortune. Thanks for your help.