RE: Lighting Circuit Problem

[Alaska1977]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can give me some advice?

A switch on the main electrics board in my house for the downstairs lighting circuit keeps tripping - this switch being one of maybe eight which presumably are for other circuits. Not really sure what the official word for these switches is but for clarity it isn't the main trip switch as the electrics for the rest of the house continue to work when it goes and it just turns off all the downstairs ceiling lights, one landing light upstairs (linked to switch downstairs) and the burglar alarm keypad.

Been in the house for a year with this set up and never had a problem. I have gone round and checked all but two light fittings (need to get a ladder for these) and all light switches for a loose connection and could find no loose connections and all seemed correctly wired. I was told by the vendor that house was re-wired when renovated some 10 years ago..

Just wanted to know whether there is anything I can/should do before I call in an Electrician ?

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks

Phil

 

[daytona]

are you talking about tripping when you blow a lamp or all the time?

what sort of trip is it,does it stay on for a few seconds and then trip?

have you tried opening all the switches as in turned them all off?

how comes the alarm ks on the same cct?

 

[daytona]

EDIT:

something might be wonky on the outside light or junction box you fitted on your previous electrical thread

that junction may be full of water,its been raining a lot lateley

 

[Alaska1977]

Hi Daytona,

In answer you questions..

When I switch it back on it stays on for anything between 30 seconds to I think the longest being about 8 hours. It only started this weekend and I didnt go near anything that might have caused it (certainly didn't do any wiring like that Junction box !). That Junction box is on different circuit as it continues to work when the downstairs light circuit goes off


No bulbs blow when it trips and have tried with the switches off and going round turning on to see if any one switch triggers it, but no pattern.


In terms of the alarm I did think it was odd that the alarm was wired to the light circuit, but it was all before my time at this place. Nevertheless never had this problem and been here a year now.

Any clues ?

Thanks Phil

 

[Alaska1977]

Reading a few other threads and one thing I noticed is that in one wall switch the earth not connected to anything just loose albeit covered in sheath and bent backon itself. There didn't appear to be anywhere to wire it to though ? whereas the other switch boxes had an earthing point in the top corner of the switch box?

 

[daytona]

somethings wonky mate,difficult to say what though.that earth in the switch can be lugged and put on one of the fixing screws,it really needs to be done.

if the sparks hasnt earthed that box ,things like that tell me it might have been rushed a little and checking all connections would be a good place to start.

had a fault this week,neutral to earth,turns out no care taken when stirpping grey off cable and he dragged the earth across the neutral it was just inside the grey though so you could hardly see it.

the alarm situation isnt unsafe(on the basis of what you have told me anyway),its just a case of no lights,no alarm

 

[Alaska1977]

Ok - thanks for the advice. Will take a better look at it in daylight and sort that earth out - when you say the earth can be lugged and put on one of the fixing screws take it you mean just secured to the fixing screw - sorry not sure what you meant by lugged

Thanks again

 

[daytona]

a lug is a crimp with an hole in the end,remove fixing screw pass screw through hole and refix box

 

[Alaska1977]

Found the culprit - loose earth in one of the light sockets. Thanks for your advice

 

[securespark]

Was there evidence of a short?