Lights dimming

[il78]

Ian takes back his sacastic remark about securespark and asks him to join him in a Southerner killing spree........

 

[Big_Spark]

Ian takes back his sacastic remark about securespark and asks him to join him in a Southerner killing spree........

Now Now, lets not be hasty in our action here...

 

[securespark]

il

Chester's no problem, but not NIC registered........

What sarcastic comment??


Not sure if I could murder a southerner - both my parents are Londoners- Dad from East end and Mum from Barnet...think I would have a slight conflict as I may have lived in Stockport/Manchester for 99% of my life, but I still pronounce things with long vowels, not short ones. IE Baaaaaaaath, not Bath.

 

[il78]

Perhaps the sarcasm word was wrong.....more like taking the pi*s out of NIC firms........

Looks like I'm on my own in my killing spree.....i'll put it hold

 

[nano]

[h as electric showers, and to a lesser quote="FWL_Engineer"]

A heavy load can dim the lights or make them flicker, esp. things like showers etc, but can be noticible with smaller loads

Secure, this is possible, although very unlikely in a domestic situation...

I have to disagree FWL. Loads sucextent, kettles and cookers, cause lights to dim.

However I would have to say that changing the meter is equally unlikely to introduce such a fault.

You're probably right here though.

Nano, are you sure you just havent started to take notice of the dimming, but it was there all along. And to what extent does it dim?
We have had this question on the forum before, and all concluded that a little dimming is definitely nothing to worry about.

What have I started!

Yes we were absolutely sure we didn't have the dimming before.

And yes it was the new meter installation procedure that caused it.

I called the power company responsible for the meter replacement (I have no idea how old the old one was - we only moved in a couple of years ago -the house itself is a hundred years old. When we got the house rewired we removed old lead-sheathed main cables), and asked for someone to come back out. A chap came out today and straight away started harping on, blaming the rewiring and the electrician who did the job. When, however, he (shut his gub and ) had a proper look at the meter installation he found that the first power company guy who replaced the meter hadn't connected the neutral from the Main Fuse to the meter properly. A loose connection - that was it. We can now switch high load items on and off with absolutely no dimming of lights at all.

However they'll have to return as the Main Fuses are also down for replacement so we might have repeat!

Thanks for the help though

 

[Big_Spark]

Nice to know it was a solved problem.

Also nice to know that it was not the meter or the installation

sorry if that comes across as a gloat..not meant that way.

 

[nano]

Nice to know it was a solved problem.

Also nice to know that it was not the meter or the installation

sorry if that comes across as a gloat..not meant that way.

Well it sort of was the installation - if the first guy had tightened up the connections properly when he put in the new meter, we wouldn't have had to get them back out to fix it.

So you're only allowed a semi-gloat

 

[Big_Spark]

Well it was the Instalation of the METER not the Installation (your house wiring), and it wasn't the meter either..just an inept installer..

 

[BR]

I have never come across a domestic installation which does not suffer a voltage reduction of at least 3-4V when switching on a heavy load, and i don't expect to. I accept FWL's point in relation to the trafo's being at full load (which they rarely are) another major factor to consider is distance from the trafo. 3-4V will not noticeably dim lights, it is the inrush current which normally causes the noticeable difference in light output. You refer to 11KV transformers, these do not exist (OR shouldn’t, i have on occasion seen transformers being supplied with 11KV in France. This is a side effect of an attempt by the supply company to correct power quality problems (caused by poor system design) 10KV is the standard trafo rating in both the U.K and Ireland. 33KV & 38KV trafos (at distribution level) are rarely used in the UK and France. The design of the grid in ireland is such that these are not required

 

[securespark]

Hey FWL!!

Call me slow, but I have re-read your comments (Let's not be hasty)

Hasty about what, forgiving me or going on a southerner killing spree???

 

[Big_Spark]

BR...I strongly suggest you actually come to the UK and put a suitably rated multimeter on some transformers over here.

Standard UK spec distribution grid is.

400V/230V

11,000V

33,000V

66,000V

132,000V

Then there are major distribution lines that run from 250,000 to 660,000, they are currently discussing allowing 1.2MV Lines for national transmission.

If you wish to argue this point I will happily provide photographic evidence of the 11kV Tx at the bottom of my garden on a pole..and with the associated warning signs on the 33kv - 11kV Tx further down the road.

You may have 10kV in Ireland....but not according to the information available on the web!

 

[Big_Spark]

Hey FWL!!

Call me slow, but I have re-read your comments (Let's not be hasty)

Hasty about what, forgiving me or going on a southerner killing spree???

The last part....

 

[securespark]

As previously mentioned, I can't bring myself to do this (joke) with my parentage.

How do you class yourself as a southerner/northerner/etc anyway?

I was born of two London-born parents in Wales. Am I a Southerner because of my parentage, a Northerner because of where I live now, or a Welshman (Baaaaa!!) because of my place of birth??

 

[Big_Spark]

As previously mentioned, I can't bring myself to do this (joke) with my parentage.

How do you class yourself as a southerner/northerner/etc anyway?

I was born of two London-born parents in Wales. Am I a Southerner because of my parentage, a Northerner because of where I live now, or a Welshman (Baaaaa!!) because of my place of birth??

No wonder you seem confused all the time

MINT SAUCE!!

 

[securespark]

Minnnnnnnt Sauuuuuuucee......Hellllllllllllllp!!

I'mmmmmmmm Offfffffffff.........

If you have problems reading this, do it in the style of Larry the Lamb!!!