My hallway lights come on slowly or not at all

[ElectricDunc]

Definitely let us know what the fault is when you find out. Always good to learn something new when the problem is this obscure.

 

[Waggid]

Problem sorted.

Eventually traced to a blown cable on the shaver socket.

Apparently the transformer in the shaver socket [ 240v to 115v ] was dragging down the voltage for the rest of the circuit.

Shaver socket removed, no more problem.

To be truthful, I did not even know the shaver socket was on the lighting circuit, but apparently it is quite common.

thanks once more for the help folks.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Curious.

The only way to "drag voltage down" is to draw a lot of current.

I'm surprised that so much could be drawn on a lighting circuit as to make incandescent lamps visibly dimmer and CFLs to fail to strike at all without tripping the MCB or starting a fire....

 

[Space cat]

The only way to "drag voltage down" is to draw a lot of current.

I agree. Moreover --

I have powered the consumer unit down and back and this seems to stop the problem for a few goes.

and

I have checked the voltage drop from live on the MCB to the neutral rail on the consumer unit and its giving me 244v when the lights are all off rising to 262v when all the lights are switched on.

That suggests a dodgy neutral pole in the CU's main isolator.

 

[Zambezi]

I would have put money on a neutral fault.