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Sounds like the light switch is a two-way switch (pull or rocker) and the fan's permanent live is in the secondary terminal. With the light switch "off" the power goes from the live incomer out the permanent live. With the switch "on" the power goes from incomer to the switched live but deads...

The most effective - but far and away the most expensive - would be to go the "home automation" route - then the computerised timer is programmed with your latitude and longitude so it "knows" when daylight comes and goes every day, adjusting for daylight saving automatically. Bit of a...

You say there were no obvious broken wires in the ceiling roses - did you try the "tug test". Give each wire a gentle tug away from its terminal (with the power off!) and you may well find one is loose. Start with the one where the bulb went. Stripping off insulation and tightening terminal...

Wouldn't want to rule out the moisture effect - from what you've said it sounds as though bathroom-rated fittings (note:the fitting, not the light bulb) which were sealed against steam, have been replaced with fittings that aren't bathroom-rated. that being the case you could be getting steam...

I recall in my early days chasing a socket into a single-skin breeze block wall. As I energetically pounded at it with the chisel the hole was getting deeper but I didn't seem to get much debris from it. Checking in the next room I found the breeze block sticking out of the wall ... Go...

Old freezers are often a source of excess use and other problems, but I doubt even that would explain the level of difference you're experiencing. Has anything changed in the past year - installed underfloor heating, for instance? The energy monitor suggested above is a good bet, they don't cost...

Three possibilities: 1 - it's the bulb (just because you've changed it means little unless you're sure the new one is good) 2 - it's the bulb connection - the wires to the lampholder of 12v bulbs can degrade and stop the power low, but it's unusual on the sort of connection you usually find an...

The electrician will have done this loads of time before. He will probably be able to suggest things you haven't thought of but which you'll wish you had thought of six months down the line after you've decorated .... PJ

Belkin do one - I got mine in Staples for £35 - which has eight ways total - six can be turned on/off with a remote control, handy for having behind the telly to disconnect several thigns at once. the other two ways are for things that need to be on all the time PJ

Most of what Taylor said, but the metering involves two meters - your existing one and a new one. The new one clocks the output from the solar panels (generation meter) before the power goes through your consumer unit and either powers your house or is exported to the grid. The second meter...

How old are fridge and freezer - they're vey good at setting off RCDs when they get old. PJ

If by "radial" you mean a 16A or 20A circuit then it's a no-no as the light switch will only be rated as far as 10A and the fan certainly won't be 16A rated. And of course you should try not to have multiple circuits inside one accessory (though it obviously happens a lot with lighting as we all...

Taking the cover off the CU will not help if you don't know how to use this tester or understand what the results tell you. Put it away and call in someone. PJ

Trust us, it can explain it. The looseness might be fractional and a change in temperature or a vibration may be enough to make or break contact. As it's affecting all the upstairs lights the problem is either going to be at the first light fitting in the chain (try the room immediately above...

An often-overlooked problem item can be the electric sparker unit on a gas hob/cooker, the plug for which is usually hidden in a cupboard or behind the cooker. PJ

A loud bang, puffs of smoke, things like that. Don't like the sound of how it was wired in the first place. Get in someone who can test what the wires are doing rather than trying yourself. PJ

I would EXPECT it to be blue to the two black, brown to the red, and yellow/green to the red with green sleeving but I would also test them first - it's a bit unusual to see a red used an an earth (hence the green sleeving) so not to be trusted. Did you note which terminals the loop wires were...

It's a hallway - how bright do you want/need it to be? pj

In answer to the original question, that has always been the problem with the internet, no editorial control. Those of us who remember its early days (early '90s for instance) saw all this developing, but these days it's treated as the fount of all knowledge with no critical checking of whether...

25mm sounds rather large, but if that's what's in place then that'swhat's in place. Rather than taking the SWA into the CU, take it to a suitable junction box near the CU, terminate the armour, then connect from the box to the CU using something more manageable. PJ