Downstairs Lighting not work

[MarcMCFC1986]

Hello

My girlfriend phoned me last night to say all the electric in the house suddenly went off after the kitchen light flickered. She went to the Consumer Unit and all the trip switches were UP, so nothing had tripped. She turned the mains off, then back on again and the rest of the electric came back on, but none of the downstairs lights are working, and the landing light isn't working either - again, the trip switch is still UP. All other lights upstairs, apart from the landing, are fine.

When I got back I went to see my neighbour who is a Plumber, to ask if he has any mates who are an electrician. He got hold of his mate who happened to just be round the corner. He had a very quick look, and thinks that the conduit might have corroded - but couldn't be sure. He used a voltage tester and said no power was going to the first light switch on the circuit, which is the light switch in the hallway which connects to the landing light too.

There is another electrician coming tomorrow morning, but I'm really worried about what it could be. 10 days before Christmas, and a house we've only been in 5 months and only just decorated - I'm worried that they are going to start ripping the walls apart to get to the corroded conduits.

From the information provided, does anybody think it is likely to be something else, hopefully less major - a loose connection or something? I'm not overly concerned about the cost of the work, assuming it will be a couple of hundred quid-ish? I'm more concerned about the re-plastering and redecorating if he does have to start putting holes in the walls!

Literally worried sick, so any positive news would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnD]

most likely there was a poor connection, probably in one of the ceiling roses but possibly in the CU, that burned away during the momentary surge when the bulb blew.

If the lightbulb was an old-style filament lamp, especially a spotlight, they often cause a momentary surge when they fail. If the wiring had been sound, it might have tripped the breaker. More modern energy-saving and LED lamps don't usually do that.

If all of the downstairs lights have stopped working, it's probably at the nearest connection to the CU, and the electrician might find it within minutes (though you will have to pay the minimum charge). That's why your first electrician started there. Most likely it will not be a difficult or expensive repair, unless some buffoon wired your house and hid a connection above the ceiling, under the floor, or plastered over it. If you or a previous occupier drilled or nailed into the wall, or fitted/removed anything, that could have damaged a cable.

It's possible, but unlikely, that the fault is inside your CU. As there is no power at the first ceiling rose, I'd test there next (this is not a DIY job as there is live metal inside even when switched off).

Modern PVC insulated wiring is very unlikely to suffer corrosion. There were some bad batches in about 1970, but if correctly installed, it will not be troubled even if the conduit goes rusty. The bad batches can easily be recognised because green slime oozes from the ends.

 

[MarcMCFC1986]

Thank you for your reply.

They are GU10 bulbs that we have in the kitchen, however I don't know if it actually blew or not, as we haven't been able to get the lights back on since then.

When the Electrician came last night he took that strip of spotlights off the ceiling in the kitchen and he said that the wiring looked good, and then took the light switch fitting off the wall in the hall, said the wiring seemed ok in there too - though there was no power going to it. He didn't spend any time with the CU so I'm hoping it is a problem at the CU that just needs reconnecting, rather than something somewhere between the CU and the light fitting that will require walls and floors to be taken apart to locate!

We have met the previous owners a few times, and we know that they spent a lot of time and effort in maintaining the house in the 7 years that they lived there, so I wouldn't expect that any poor wiring or connections have been covered up.

 

[winston1]

Often when a MCB trips the switch does move much. To be sure switch it down then up again to reset.

 

[John D v2.0]

Could even be simply that the MCB has gone faulty, so it's tripped inside but is stuck off. Is there power at the outlet of the MCB? The electrician should have checked. That would be a simple fix choosing a few pounds for materials

 

[Taylortwocities]

Get another electrician. His first job should have been to check line and neutral connections and voltage leaving the CU.
Should/must do that before removing light fittings, switches etc .…

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Get another electrician.

His first job should have been to check line and neutral connections and voltage leaving the CU.

And his second one is to explain the electrical engineering theory behind a corroded conduit giving rise to this problem.

 

[Taylortwocities]

And his second one is to explain the electrical engineering theory behind a corroded conduit giving rise to this problem.

He was the mate of a plumber who "just happened to be round the corner"

 

[JohnD]

Too late. Already in hand.

There is another electrician coming tomorrow morning

 

[bernardgreen]

Get another electrician.

Another ? It does not look like the first chap was an electrician.

 

[Iggifer]

He must have worked with this guy