Home electrical problem - Lights occassionally flickering

Mike1983 · 29 Dec 2011 at 10:58

Hi

Just thought I'd post a problem here and see if anyone else has encountered anything similar / has any thoughts....

For the past 2 or 3 days I've notced the lights in my house occassionally flickering (going dim then back to normal) quickly. This is very temperamental, they will stabilise and then will flicker again every so often.

This flickering occurs both on my upstairs lights and downstairs lights which are on separate circuits from my fuse box. When they flicker I've checked the voltage available on my plug sockets (both upstairs and downstairs which are again separate circuits from my fuse box) and have notced the voltage dropping up to around 3 volts each time whenever the flickers occur.

I have also noticed that when the flickers occur, a street light directly outside of my house is flickering in sequence with my lights. I have also noticed the flickering during the daytime though when the street light is not turned on.

I've spoke to neighbours, they have not seen any problems and other street lights on the street do not seem to be affected.

So what do you think?

1) Is the street light supply the cause of the problem?
2) Is the problem caused by something at the utility supplier's end?
3) Could it be something in my house that is causing the problem? If so, surely this shouldn't affect the street light right?

Thanks

Derek W · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:04

Wind affecting the grid supply. Only ever happens in stormy conditions. Since you said past two or three days id put it down to that.

Django x2 · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:04

call out your engery supplier. If it's a fault pre your property, there won't be a...............

charge

(badum tsh)

MeEsH BaKkA · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:11

Mike1983 said:
Hi

Just thought I'd post a problem here and see if anyone else has encountered anything similar / has any thoughts....

For the past 2 or 3 days I've notced the lights in my house occassionally flickering (going dim then back to normal) quickly. This is very temperamental, they will stabilise and then will flicker again every so often.

This flickering occurs both on my upstairs lights and downstairs lights which are on separate circuits from my fuse box. When they flicker I've checked the voltage available on my plug sockets (both upstairs and downstairs which are again separate circuits from my fuse box) and have notced the voltage dropping up to around 3 volts each time whenever the flickers occur.

I have also noticed that when the flickers occur, a street light directly outside of my house is flickering in sequence with my lights. I have also noticed the flickering during the daytime though when the street light is not turned on.

I've spoke to neighbours, they have not seen any problems and other street lights on the street do not seem to be affected.

So what do you think?

1) Is the street light supply the cause of the problem?
2) Is the problem caused by something at the utility supplier's end?
3) Could it be something in my house that is causing the problem? If so, surely this shouldn't affect the street light right?

Thanks

It's a supply problem if the street lights flicker as well. Nothing to worry about, although is it's dropping to 3V I'm supprised your TVs, computers etc... Don't switch off.

Kol · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:23

MeEsH BaKkA said:
It's a supply problem if the street lights flicker as well. Nothing to worry about, although is it's dropping to 3V I'm supprised your TVs, computers etc... Don't switch off.

It's not dropping TO 3v, it's dropping BY UP to 3v, so it goes down by 3v, not down to

MeEsH BaKkA · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:25

Kol said:
It's not dropping TO 3v, it's dropping BY UP to 3v, so it goes down by 3v, not down to

Ahh that makes more sense, although a 3V drop would be barely noticeable even with GLS lamps. Either way, not an issue.

Kol · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:37

MeEsH BaKkA said:
Ahh that makes more sense, although a 3V drop would be barely noticeable even with GLS lamps. Either way, not an issue.

I hope my capitalisation wasn't taken the wrong way mate, just wanted to highlight the key points

Mike1983 · 29 Dec 2011 at 11:56

Just reported it to the utility company for the area, awaiting a call back. Hope this doesn't get found to be something in my house followed by a hefty call out fee!

Cheers guys.

MeEsH BaKkA · 29 Dec 2011 at 12:14

Kol said:
I hope my capitalisation wasn't taken the wrong way mate, just wanted to highlight the key points

No it wasn't

I was just mentioning a 3V drop is quite small, what I should have said it may have been more than a 3V drop but happening so quick the meter didn't pick it up.

OP, if the lights in you street dimmed than you have no problem it's the supply company's issue

if it was your end I would expect you would smell quite a bit of burning and crackling coming from your fuse board