Electrical Disturbances

[Zing]

We have an elderly neighbour who occasionally has problems with his electrics. Sometimes his television and lights go on and off. Rather than get his electrics checked out, he thinks we have some kind of machine in our house that's causing his electrical problem so we are getting the blame! We have nothing in our house apart from the usual computer and domestic appliances that could cause such a problem and we're getting annoyed that he keeps blaming us. Does anyone know what might be causing the electrical disturbances? It first started happening 3 years ago and then we didn't hear anymore about it when he got a new TV so thought it must have been resolved. However, he's started having problems again. Anyone got any ideas?

[Buenchico]

If both his lights and his TV go off and on again, it means that any fault can't be on any particular ring circuit. This means that the problem must lie on the 'supplier' side,rather than the 'consumer' side, of his fuse box.

Advise your neighbour that he should contact his electricity supplier. (People who try to find external causes for their problems are often just scared of the costs of putting the problem right. You should assure your neighbour that, because the problems aren't on his side of the fuse box, he won't have to pay anything).

Chris

[joko]

I had the same problem in my house.

It turned out that the mains electrics hadn't been checked in over 50 years as the lanlord had messed with them over the years which is illegal so he refused to call manweb out to sort the problem out.

it got worse and i called them myself out of frustration. they just fitted a new box at no cost, they were shocked at the state of the old box and wires but it has been fine ever since.

if he is elderly and has lived there a while he probably hasn't had them checked either.

tell him if he doesn't call them, you will, as an electrical fire would affect your property as much as his and you're not prepared to sit back and wait for an accident to happen.

I'll bet he calls someone - even just a local electrician to check the circuits 

[Zing]

Many thanks to both of you for the advice on this. It has been playing on our minds for a while so we'll ask him to get his electric supplier to look into this matter.

Cheers!