Lighting Circuit Gone Off

[Eve]

I had a similar problem last year (http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Gard
en/Question1028463.html).


The downstairs lighting circuit has gone off (sure I heard a sound as if something might have blown). This happened Thursday evening and my faffing like I did last time doesn't seem to have worked (yet).

I have tried putting the electric off and looking at the fuses (old fashioned box with the wooden bits and wire down the middle) and both look fine (not sure which is which).

I got some new bulbs today, just a couple for the lounge (spot light type ones but on a central thing) and kitchen (another central thing but bigger halogen bulbs). I thought maybe one of the bulbs had blown it but took the kitchen ones out and nothing.

The lounge ones will be harder to get out (not very mobile at the moment - walking with a stick and got a lot of pain and stiffness in hips/knees/shoulders so not easy to get to stuff standing on a chair - the kitchen ones were difficult enough).

So I thought I'd ask for any ideas before I start faffing any more if anyone can help?

[Eve]

Try again...

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden/Question1028463.html

Apologies in advance if I'm late in replying, need to get to bed soon as I'm knackered.

[Eve]

Ah, there is a photo further down on this thread which looks the same, it's a Memera fuse box...

http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/topic/16380-rocking-horse-poo-unicorns-horns-memera-40a/

[Answerprancer]

Here's what I'd do: (assuming a circuit-breaker switch is down on your board)
Go round the floor in question switching absolutely everything off or unplugging anything that doesn't have a switch. Go to the board and flip the relevant circuit breaker switch back up. Then systematically switch everything back on/plugs back in until something makes it 'pop' again - then you will find out what's making it go. Toasters are quite good at throwing circuit-breakers, especially if some miscreant has been poking around in them with something metal!

[The Builder]

With re-wireable fuses, Jenna, sometimes the fusewire may look ok, but has actually blown in the part of holder that you can't see......... where the wire is threaded through. I know it sounds daft, but I have come across this before.

The fuse should have white dots on it (5 Amp). If you have another lighting circuit (one that's working), try pulling that fuse and putting it into the suspect circuit.

Best of all would be to rewire the faulty one and go again.

[Eve]

Hello :) Thanks both. I have had another faff. I took all the existing bulbs out (one of the lounge ones looked a bit suspect though they haven't been changed since I moved in at least so that's well over 3 years ago and they haven't all worked for a while - 6 spots in the lounge so had enough, similar in kitchen - I'm not a bright light kinda girl :)).

I then put a new bulb in, one in the kitchen, one in the lounge and nothing.

I found out which fuse was which (upstairs and downstairs lights). If I put the upstair light fuse thing in the downstairs light fuse socket bit then the upstairs lights don't work either so maybe a problem with the fuse socket thing?

Does that make sense and fit in with any of the ideas above?

[Eve]

Both the light circuit fuse sockets have fuse things plugged in which have white spots on (then blue for cooker and green I think for sockets, something like that).

[The Builder]

Jenna....... I think you've done as much as you can. Put your feet up. Time to get someone in. I guarantee he'll find the problem in no time :o))))))