Kitchen electrics going mental!!

[sunny84]

Hi guys I had my kitchen decorated in 2013 and since then ive noticed the electrics in my kitchen seems faulty. When the decorators were in one of the lights kept blowing the bulb and also the fuse box (it's a really old fuse box). This was sorted and then the plasterer got a shock when plastering one wall ...can't really remember the reason he gave for this but he said he had sorted it. Anyway now the kitchen lights (halogen GU10's pop almost weekly) and the cooker hood has started blowing the bulb and also the fuse at least every month. Here's the strange part .... I bought a DAB radio and have been using it in the kitchen I go to turn it up the other day and could actually feel an electric current coming from the volume button!!! Plugged it into all the plugs in the kitchen and could feel it but plugged it in the front room and passage and it was fine.

Anyone got any ideas what could be wrong. I rang an electrician about 6 months ago but he wanted 500£ just to look at it and with a new baby, I just couldn't afford it. I've rang an electrician but I'm scared he's gonna rip me off and say the whole house needs a rewire or something 😕

 

[OwainDIYer]

I think you need to get an electrician in urgently. By urgently I mean tomorrow, not next week.

Fuses blowing and electric shocks from an appliance are indications that something is seriously wrong

How much it costs to fix depends on what is causing the problems. [/b]

 

[phatboy]

You can waste no time now getting an electrician in. Do not use any electrics in the kitchen until it has been seen to.

I'm sure you would prefer to be alive for your young child? Yes, blunt, but justified I think!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I can only echo the above comments.
With regards to cost, it would really depend on what is required to make things safe and functional.
I think someone asking for £500 just to look at it is a bit steep! But it needs looking at immediately!

 

[flyingsparks]

Quite agree with the three above. £500 is extortionate as a call out. Check www.competantperson.org to find a local electrician, or ask for recommendations from friends/family, tommorow!

 

[sunny84]

Thanks everybody I'm going to get an electrician out tomorrow. Currently googling trying to find someone who will come out ASAP

 

[sunny84]

You can waste no time now getting an electrician in. Do not use any electrics in the kitchen until it has been seen to.

I'm sure you would prefer to be alive for your young child? Yes, blunt, but justified I think!

Thanks ....ive switched everything off but the fridge will have to stay on till the morning. I've been telling family members inc my step dad who thinks he knows everything about DIY for ages something was up with the kitchen and they all just said I was worrying too much and bulbs pop all the time. Safe to say Ive got a serious panic on now!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Quite agree with the three above. £500 is extortionate as a call out. Check www.competantperson.org to find a local electrician, or ask for recommendations from friends/family, tommorow!

That is not a correct link.

This is the one you need! http://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk

 

[ban-all-sheds]

ive switched everything off but the fridge will have to stay on till the morning.

Run it from an extension lead plugged into a socket which is not part of the dodgy kitchen circuit.

And please let us know what the electrician finds.

 

[sunny84]

hi just thought id let you know what the electrician said. He checked all the sockets, light switches in the kitchen. He tested the fuse box and said essentially all my wiring is fine but the fusebox is very old and said safety wise a new box would be of benefit (but didnt say i HAD to get one). He said whoever put my lights up didnt even bother earthing them and that might be a problem so he sorted that. He also showed me the shoddy work that theyd done behind my light switches. He said none of this is ideal but the wiring is all essentially good. He thinks the cooker hood is just too old and probably faulty because of its age and the light bulbs going reguarly may be the actual bulbs and recommended LEDs. Im getting a new fuse box and hes gonna go round the rest of the house this friday testing everything. Im not paying him though if the radio still lets out a current when used in the kitchen but is normal elsewhere in the house because im assuming that means something is still very much amiss!

 

[eveares]

I agree with the others, you have dangerous faults what need urgently fixing. I also agree £500 is a lot just to have a look!

This was sorted and then the plasterer got a shock when plastering one wall ...can't really remember the reason he gave for this but he said he had sorted it

That worry's me a lot.

He tested the fuse box and said essentially all my wiring is fine but the fusebox is very old and said safety wise a new box would be of benefit

Your old fuse board should not be causing the issues unless it has got a wiring fault in it's self. (i.e a new fuse board/CU may get rid of the symptoms but not the root cause of your problems.)

He said whoever put my lights up didn't even bother earthing them and that might be a problem so he sorted that

He should have been able to verify if the lights not being earthed was related to your problems.

He said none of this is ideal but the wiring is all essentially good

If your wiring was good, then you should not be experiencing your issues.

light bulbs going regularly may be the actual bulbs and recommended LEDs

GU10 bulbs don't last the longest time, but should last more than a week!

I'm getting a new fuse box and hes gonna go round the rest of the house this Friday testing everything

As I said, it is likely or at least possible that the fault is not at the fuse board but in the kitchen it's self due to the work you have done in their.

I would recommend that you get another electrician to have a look just to be on the safe side.

 

[Jason1790]

Perhaps the plasterer damaged a cable whilst installing the beading?

 

[sunny84]

I agree with the others, you have dangerous faults what need urgently fixing. I also agree £500 is a lot just to have a look!

This was sorted and then the plasterer got a shock when plastering one wall ...can't really remember the reason he gave for this but he said he had sorted it

That worry's me a lot.

He tested the fuse box and said essentially all my wiring is fine but the fusebox is very old and said safety wise a new box would be of benefit

Your old fuse board should not be causing the issues unless it has got a wiring fault in it's self. (i.e a new fuse board/CU may get rid of the symptoms but not the root cause of your problems.)

He said whoever put my lights up didn't even bother earthing them and that might be a problem so he sorted that

He should have been able to verify if the lights not being earthed was related to your problems.

He said none of this is ideal but the wiring is all essentially good

If your wiring was good, then you should not be experiencing your issues.

light bulbs going regularly may be the actual bulbs and recommended LEDs

GU10 bulbs don't last the longest time, but should last more than a week!

I'm getting a new fuse box and hes gonna go round the rest of the house this Friday testing everything

As I said, it is likely or at least possible that the fault is not at the fuse board but in the kitchen it's self due to the work you have done in their.

I would recommend that you get another electrician to have a look just to be on the safe side.

Im going to ring him this morning and say that we havent actually had any answers and before he fits a new fuse box i need to get to the bottom of the problems, thats that actaul issue afterall. Its weird, when i went in last night the radio wasnt letting off that electrical current anymore and i thought it was sorted. Then i felt it later on and it was doing it again. I actually went to tesco and bought another radio exactly the same (which ill take back) just to test to see if was the radio as he said. The new radio did exactly the same. Fuming! surely its not right for a radio to be letting of an electrical current. I have noticed though that my lights are now much brighter after being earthed.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I have noticed though that my lights are now much brighter after being earthed.

That's a little bit worrying actually.

I wonder if there's a dodgy neutral at the service intake and incidental earthing is ending up being the neutral return.

It really doesn't sound like your electrician has actually done any proper fault-finding and testing.

 

[phatboy]

I thought you were getting an electrician in, sounds like you got a cowboy?!

A CU change is not the solution here, proper investigation is needed.

Get someone else in!