Any reason for this ?

[adm]

Wonder if anyone can shed any light ( excuse the pun ) as to why sometimes our house lighting is ok, nice and bright yet sometimes is very dull. Do we have a problem somewhere.

 

[westie101]

Depends where you are(urban or rural), type of supply (overhead or underground), if rural number of nearby properties, other electrical equipment in use when they dim.
Does it affect other equipment e.g. lights plugged into a socket
If you have neighbours are they affected

 

[adm]

We live in a terraced street with an underground supply the lights dont dim but are just dull normal other electrical equipment in use, tele fridge washer etc. Never asked the neighbours if they are affected or not.

 

[westie101]

Possibly then worth getting an electrician to check for poor connections on the lighting circuit

 

[mattylad]

Adm, have a walk and ask the neighbours then.

Not necessarily just the direct neighbours though.

This would show if you need an electrician or to contact your DNO.

 

[Lectrician]

When you say dim, how dim? A fixed dull brightness that doesn' alter and stays constant?

I was called to a house once where some lights were very dull. Turned out the loft light had been incorrectly wired, causing some of the lights to become wired in series with it.

 

[adm]

That is what its like a fixed dull brightness that does not alter but stays constant but like i said it is not always like this as they are sometimes a normal brightness. With regards to the loft lighting theory you said about, i did add a loft light myself a while back refering to instrustions i read about on this forum whereas i took the light and switch off the main cable from the consumer unit which goes up into the loft and to the upstairs lights and the light works perfectly via the switch i installed. I would have thought if this was wrong it would be the upstairs lights that would be affected but upstairs are ok its just the downstairs lighting that is affected.

 

[adm]

Been monitoring this over last couple of months and always seems to happen when it is raining or damp outside

 

[RF Lighting]

Have you had anyone out to look at this yet? Leaving it for months is really the wrong thing to do.

Lights going dim is almost certainly a joint failing somewhere.

Failing joints get very hot and start fires. If it is within your house you really don't want that to happen.

You need to get someone out to have a look at this for you ASAP.

 

[adm]

I will get onto that straight away i suppose i was hoping it would just sort its self out, silly i know when electricity is involved so do you suggest an electrician or our electric supplier ?

 

[securespark]

I found this by accident at a property and it was a dodgy (first generation Hager) breaker.

Much to RF's disgust....

 

[adm]

I wonder if this could be our problem as we had a new Hager consumer unit fitted about 6 or 7 years ago and its funny but never thought about it until now but when an upstairs bulb blows the breaker trips but when a downstairs bulb blows the breaker does not trip and its the downstairs lights that we are having this problem with. But i still do not understand why the lights are dull downstairs when its raining or damp but are perfect when the weather is dry and fine.

 

[stardanny]

Outside light?

 

[RF Lighting]

I wonder if this could be our problem as we had a new Hager consumer unit fitted about 6 or 7 years ago and its funny but never thought about it until now but when an upstairs bulb blows the breaker trips but when a downstairs bulb blows the breaker does not trip and its the downstairs lights that we are having this problem with. But i still do not understand why the lights are dull downstairs when its raining or damp but are perfect when the weather is dry and fine.

Are you saying the fault only affects the downstairs lights and not the upstairs ones?

I found this by accident at a property and it was a dodgy (first generation Hager) breaker.

Much to RF's disgust....

What did you find Simon?

 

[adm]

RF Lighting, yes it only affects the down stairs lighting which are ceiling lights and wall lights which take G9 halogen bulbs whereas upstairs the are the normal pendant light fittings.

Stardanny, you say outside light could it be this but i do not exactly know what your reply means. We had an extension built to the rear of the property a few years ago which meant demolishing the old outside coal house and toilet and their is a wire which is coming out of the wall outside which has just been cut off and left, which i think comes from under the bathroom floor, which i presume used to go to the outside toilet, but i remember asking the builder about this and he assured me it was definately a dead wire, but now with you suggesting this i am wondering.