flickering lights

[james king]

hi all,

i was wondering why would lights flicker on and off really quikly not jusat one light but many all at the same time, giving off a disco effect?

 

[stretchyboy]

Are you in a night club?

 

[stretchyboy]

Only joking....... how about a few details of what where when how etc

 

[telectrix]

bad connection before the first light, anywhere back to the board?

 

[stretchyboy]

Could be a dimmer problem, connection problem, etc etc............... the more details we have to go on the more we can help ;-)

 

[bugsy]

It's gone Pete Tong!

 

[james king]

no details i went in to a shop today and all the lights were flickering, they said they goo off when next doors compressors goes kicks in, i take it thats from the start up current

 

[stretchyboy]

probably right, may be a voltage drop due to the surge from the compressor although usually neighbours are on different phases, unless it is all three phase. May be partly caused by old fluorescents rated at 240V and supply voltage now been dropped to 230V, could be a job there waiting for you if you know how to sell ;-)

 

[james king]

lol. yes its on a 3 phase supply.

 

[telectrix]

if they're floories, they don't like anything under 225v. see what the voltage is when next door are pulling a load.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Just in case any students or apprentices are reading this thread, I think I should comment on the impression given by "strechyboy" that the supply voltage has changed from 240V to 230V in the UK. The supply industry has actually done nothing physical to reduce the supply voltage from 240V to 230V, it's still 240V open circuit at the terminals of the local supply transformer. What has changed, as part of European harmonisation (Cenelec HD472), the declared nominal voltage has changed from 240v +-6% (between 225.6 and 254.4V) to 230V +10% -6% (between 216.2 and 253V), very little change, just a slightly wider margin at the lower end. This suits the DNO's just fine as it gives them a bigger window of acceptable supply voltage in rural areas, without the associated costs rewinding transformers or tap changing.
Note:- A second round of change in the declared nominal supply voltage (Cenelec HD472-S2) 230V +-10% is pending, it was due on 1/1/2008 but has yet to be implemented in the UK.

 

[alisha]

Check mian power and main cable condition to site.

 

[stretchyboy]

Hi Markiesparky, we work on a lot of commercial property in London and when they have had large supply upgrades they have taken the opportunity to reduce the voltage for economic reasons. The results have been that they save energy and prolong the life of modern equipment built to run on 230V, but it has a detrimental effect on old equipment that was built to run on 240V/415V and have experienced fluorescent lights flickering and lifts not working as they balance the supply voltage they are trying to achieve with the average load for the site. We all know that the Electricity Board have no intention of doing anything until they have to and we see that every time we test the voltage anywhere and it often over 240V, but as we have experienced it on some of our larger sites, I thought I would just throw it out as a possibility, that is what happens on this forum after all

 

[Paul.M]

I thought (and I may be wrong) that all appliances built from 2000 with a CE mark is designed to run on 220V? Giving plenty of scope for volt drop unless its old flos or equipment that runs on a certain voltage?