Bulbs keep blowing - and tripping mains

[Sadruddin]

Hi. I live in a 100 year old house, rewired 15 years ago.
In the downstairs hall, there are a number of ceiling downlights, sunk into the ceiling.
Ever since I've lived there, one or another of these blows at the rate of about one every month or so.
I've replaced them with 'long life' ones, which is much more expensive and makes no difference whatsoever.
They're all linked to the same switch system, (one upstairs, one downstairs).
When one has gone, (tripping the mains - in the cellar - on the same fuse - ouch), this doesn't stop others going. At the moment, all 5 ceiling lights are out - which has cut down the number of times the system trips, at least, but meanse the hall is darker than ideal.
I'm unwilling to consider rewiring the whole florr, if I can help it. Would replkacing the downlight sockets help? If there's something I could check, then what should I do?

Help.

Thanks in advance, S

 

[Damocles]

Check old posts for this old chestnut.

Have you got 6A type B MCB in the consumer unit? Are these halogen lights or ordinary bulbs? I think you meant when one bulb blows power goes off to the affected light circuit only. It almost sounded like lots of bulbs blow at once, but I hope you did not mean that. Does this happen when any other light bulbs blow anywhere else? How many bulbs (of which sort) are on the same circuit?

 

[Sadruddin]

Hi.

6amp - don't know, I'll check when I get home

Ordinary bulbs, but if I replace them with little halogen ones it makes no difference

When each bulb blows it trips the whole circuit, but yes, they only blow one at a time.

This (the tripping) happens when any bulb on the ground floor blows.

The real issue is that there are 8 bulbs (5 40 watt ceiling lights and 3 'ordinary' 60 watt bayonets) on this circuit, and the smaller, inset, ceiling bulbs keep blowing.

Ta.

S