flickering light

[restez]

Hi
need help on ? my lights in my house are flickering even when my bathroom fan is on the light flickers like the juice is being sucked out of the fan. only 4 upstairs lights are doing this downstairs no problems can one of you electrical experts tell me where to begin looking for the problem
Thanks alot
Tony

 

[malcolmsanford]

Is the upstairs lights are on their own circuit?

Does the upstairs just have the 4 lights or is this 4 lights out of ..................however many?

If the upstairs only as 4 lights in total, and they are on their own circuit then most likely it is a loose connection in the CU.

If the 4 lights are part of a bigger circuit then it will be a loose connection, most likely coming from the loop feed from the light preceding the flickering light.

You can check this quite easily really, turn off the entire fuse board, not just the fuse/mcb for the circuit but the whole board from the main switch, then at each light check the cables to see if any have poped out, or are loose in the terminal, a good tool for doing this is a pair of long nose pliers.

 

[electromonkey]

Defo what Malcolmsandford said. I had a call out once where all the lights in the house were doing this and the light in the fridge. One of the tails coming from the mains fuse was loose.

If you can't find the fault after doing what MS, try turning on the lights and listen out for any crackling noises. If you still can't find it. You'll need to get someone in who can. It's a potential fire hazard if you don't get it sorted.

 

[restez]

Thanks guys
Ok your gonna think im crazy but this was noticed at night time now it is morning i have had the lights on for 30 minutes now and now its not doing it only at night , why

4 lights are part of a bigger circuit your comment says- most likely coming from the loop feed from the light preceding the flickering light.
Can you be more specific ? do you mean the wires connecting to the fixture itself.

 

[Paul.M]

You need to turn off the c/u main switch as Malcolm has said and then check that each termination in the ceiling rose is secure. You may even find that a wire has started to melt/burn and will be blackened. If you can't find any loose wires and you still have the same problem call a sparky to find the fault, don't leave it as it could be dangerous for you and your home.

 

[telectrix]

assuming that the loop is at the fittings, not at the switches, and assuming it's not been wired with half of CEF's stock of junction boxes, you should find a loose connection at a fitting, as previously mentioned.

 

[Paul.M]

Tel, what about it only flickering at night? Wonder if the op has a day and night meter and the night meter has a loose connection?

 

[restez]

Ok i think i found it i went to the main panel to start with the breakers and the bedroom 15 amp breaker and another 15 amp breaker for upstairs were not seated correct. i went to seat one and it sparked alittle and the other one the hook was bent and not secure . i turned off the main and fixed both of them the checked all and voltage all seems good for now . i turned on the lights with the issue and not flickering anymore hope this was it . if not i will follow your instructions guys
thanks again

 

[telectrix]

possible. or could be he's pulling more load at night. then again, the flicker might still be there but not sufficient to see in daylight. it's just a trial and error job, working through the circuit logically back towards the supply.

 

[restez]

i will know tonight

 

[malcolmsanford]

Ok i think i found it i went to the main panel to start with the breakers and the bedroom 15 amp breaker and another 15 amp breaker for upstairs were not seated correct. i went to seat one and it sparked alittle and the other one the hook was bent and not secure . i turned off the main and fixed both of them the checked all and voltage all seems good for now . i turned on the lights with the issue and not flickering anymore hope this was it . if not i will follow your instructions guys
thanks again

Are these breakers for your lights??

 

[restez]

yes light in hallway and bedrooms which is where the problem was
thanks

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Ok i think i found it i went to the main panel to start with the breakers and the bedroom 15 amp breaker and another 15 amp breaker for upstairs were not seated correct. i went to seat one and it sparked alittle and the other one the hook was bent and not secure . i turned off the main and fixed both of them the checked all and voltage all seems good for now . i turned on the lights with the issue and not flickering anymore hope this was it . if not i will follow your instructions guys
thanks again

It sparked a little. When you were working on it? Don't be working live there sir. Isolate, Isolate, Isolate.

 

[malcolmsanford]

yes light in hallway and bedrooms which is where the problem was
thanks

I think you may need to look at changing those breakers to 6 amp type. Though 1.5mm cable can take a 15amp load in some circumstances, I doubt if it is wired in 1mm it could.