Bizarre Lighting Mystery

[roach]

Something really weird has started happening to the lighting in my mother's house. Nothing has been changed to do with the electrics for years and she rang me yesterday and said that when she turns on the 2 way hall light switch it switches off and on TWO of the downstairs living rooms! The upstairs landing switch doesn't work at all.

Only thing I can think of is that a junction box has screwed up under the floorboards upstairs?? She is not going to be happy if I need to take the carpets up as doesn't need much to upset her since the old man passed away.

Any tips guys on what to look for?

Thanks
Tony

 

[EFLImpudence]

when she turns on the 2 way hall light switch it switches off and on TWO of the downstairs living rooms! The upstairs landing switch doesn't work at all.

Please explain more clearly.

 

[roach]

Sorry mate.

If she turns on the hall light switch that normally operates the landing light then two seperate reception rooms down stairs lights switch on and if she turns the switch off then the lights in the rooms go off.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok. Will have a think.

Does landing light come on as well?

 

[roach]

No, landing light doesn't come on at all.

 

[pjcomp]

You say nothing has changed iwth the elctrics for years, but SOMETHING has changed otherwise what you describe wouldn't have happened. Has she had any decorating work done? A decorator might have removed a light switch or two and put them back wrongly wired. Any plumbing work which might have involved going under the floorboards and mucking about with a junction box?

PJ

 

[roach]

No I'm positive that nothing has changed for years.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[roach]

Solved, my sister had a sparky round and bare with me as I'm not clear on this but one of the fuses on the board had gone and crossed with the upstairs circuit and downstairs lights were getting a feed throught the earth???? Something like that anyway

The sparky is updating the consumer unit which will fix it.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[roach]

Just goes to show GET THE EXPERTS IN. I would have been ripping carpet and floorboards up like a banshee for FA!

 

[EFLImpudence]

D'oh. I was just going to suggest that.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[securespark]

If it's a borrowed neutral, it'll take a bit more than a board change to sort out.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Dear Roach

We are intrigued as to what the cause might be.

Please promise to come back and tell us what the sparky finds when he changes the consumer unit.

Love

TTC

PS Personally I would be wanting to sort out the problems before changing the CU but what do I know