Lighting...Help!!

[alanclarke_1]

I have been experiencing flickering lights downstairs, I understand this is down to loose cables so I checked all fittings and couldn't find any fault.

It promptly disappeared for a while but tonight the lights flickered like crazy and then just went out, i checked the fuse box and it's still on.
I cannot turn my lights on at all downstairs.
Checked all the fittings and switches again but can find no fault.

Please help

 

[Taylortwocities]

Impossible todiagnose from a PC terminal...

Do you have a multimeter or a test lamp and do you know how they work?

If the answer is no then you need to get a spark on site to look at the problem.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

i checked the fuse box and it's still on.

Did you check the tightness of the connections in there?

 

[Taylortwocities]

It might be a bit dark in there....

 

[ricicle]

i checked the fuse box and it's still on.

Did you check the tightness of the connections in there?

Do not attempt to do this unless you are throughly confident about what you are doing. The unit contains live connections at the main switch even when off.

 

[alanclarke_1]

i checked the fuse box and it's still on.

Did you check the tightness of the connections in there?

I did check all connections, I even undid them and re tightened them

 

[alanclarke_1]

Impossible todiagnose from a PC terminal...

Do you have a multimeter or a test lamp and do you know how they work?

If the answer is no then you need to get a spark on site to look at the problem.

I do have a multimeter but I haven't used it much so i'm unsure what setting does what

 

[industryspark]

Off topic a bit, but a mate of mine had his consumer unit changed the other week. Since then his lights were working intermittently and flickering, then one day his power was off completelly but it wasnt a power cut. It turns out the main suppliers fuse at the service head had only been pushed in halfway thus poor contact......

 

[breezer]

I do have a multimeter but I haven't used it much so i'm unsure what setting does what

what does its manual say?

 

[electronicsuk]

I do have a multimeter but I haven't used it much so i'm unsure what setting does what

what does its manual say?

To be fair, being able to use a multimeter takes a little more than just reading the manual. A good start would be to put the meter into AC voltage mode, 500v range (even if autoranging, use manual to prevent 'ghost' readings in mV that you might misinterpret) and see if you have any power at the first fitting. If not, you must have a break somewhere in the cable between the first fitting and CU, or a problem at the CU itself.

As you say that the entire circuit is out, it seems very likely indeed that the latter is the problem. You keep saying you checked 'all connections', but you don't say whether or not this includes the fusebox/CU? You might have a loose connection at either the incoming or outgoing side of the MCB/fuse for that circuit, or a loose neutral. Usual rules apply, isolate at the main switch, be aware that the incoming tails are still live even with the main switch off, and don't attempt to even remove the cover unless you're happy with doing the work.