Lights flickering

[IPA76]

Customer has lights on 3 circuits flickering, not all the time. Have checked all connections on the ccu. voltage 242v now at a loss,
Any (sensible) suggestions?
Geoff

 

[Midwest]

What are the 'lights'?

 

[Pete999]

Customer has lights on 3 circuits flickering, not all the time. Have checked all connections on the ccu. voltage 242v now at a loss,
Any (sensible) suggestions?
Geoff

Us that a three lamp fitting? or 3 lighting cables connected to 1 cb ? or 3 separate lighting circuits?
What type of instrument are you checking the voltage with?

 

[snowhead]

Domestic or Commercial?

Checked connections at the individual Lights?

Maybe they had 1 circuit of lights flickering, then they had 2 circuits flickering, then when the 3rd started they decided to call someone in to look at it.

Are they fluorescents, were they all relamped / new starters (if appropriate) at the same time?
Are they (cheap) LED, all recently fitted?

If commercial what other electrical equipment have they got?
Underground supply or Overhead?
Rural or Urban?

 

[IPA76]

What are the 'lights'?

On one circuit they are leds, on another circuit there incandescent. Checked the voltage with a martel muiltimeter. The ccu is a spilt load board,and the 3 curciuts are all on the same side. I was thinking of changing the main switch on the ccu.

 

[Pete999]

On one circuit they are leds, on another circuit there incandescent. Checked the voltage with a martel muiltimeter. The ccu is a spilt load board,and the 3 curciuts are all on the same side. I was thinking of changing the main switch on the ccu.

Are they all controlled by 1 OCPD???

 

[IPA76]

The 3 circuits are each on there own 6amp ocpd.

 

[Pete999]

The 3 circuits are each on there own 6amp ocpd.

Sorry to ask, do you mean there are 3 separate 6Amp OCPDs? it could be relevant so please bear with me.

 

[IPA76]

Yes, 3×6amp mcb's

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Lots of things you can try.

If the main switch is at fault, it will likely respond to being tickled. Very slight movement of the lever or cables will probably cause the flickering to improve or worsen. If it is ever subject to much load, it will probably have got hot due to the increased resistance; look for signs. Check all the MCBs are properly clamped to the busbar, i.e. that the lugs are not the wrong side of the clamps. Again, would be triggered by movement in the board.

If the flickering seems random, i.e. due to a bad connection, yry monitoring the voltage across any suspect part - a few volts, varying with load, across either pole of the main switch would be a clue. If the flickering is suspected of being cyclic, look for sources of line disturbance that are not electrical faults. Large A/C or heat pumps nearby?

Piggyback a 1-way CU feeding a small incandescent lamp, direct from the meter tails with a Henley block. If that flickers too, it's a DNO problem, so you can call them with confidence that nothing is wrong on the customer's side.

 

[Midwest]

Do they flicker when they are on, or do they flicker when they are off? If this is happening to both types of lamps, LED & incandescent on separate circuit, when they are turned on, I can only think of a loose connection somewhere. Have you verified the main supply cables/terminations are tight etc?

 

[DPG]

Any neighbours having any flickering issues?

Also worth considering a bad neutral joint on the incoming supply.

 

[Pete999]

Yes, 3×6amp mcb's

Thanks, well that blows my idea out of the water then. Are the busbar connections all OK?

 

[IPA76]

Thanks, well that blows my idea out of the water then. Are the busbar connections all OK?
[/QUOT

Thanks, to everyone for the many surgestions, will go back to the customer after christmas and try them out. I am very gratful for all your help. Will post any updates.

Thanks, well that blows my idea out of the water then. Are the busbar connections all OK?

Thanks, well that blows my idea out of the water then. Are the busbar connections all OK?

Cant work out how to reply
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Cant work out how to reply

Many thanks to everyone for all your help, will let you know how I get on with this.

 

[IPA76]

Many thanks to all that gave me advice on this subject. I asked the Client to go and have chat with his neighbours as was suggested and guess what, they were having the same problem!! Client called in DNO and they found a lose connection on one phase at the nearby sub-station. So thank you to all of you that helped me, you are what makes this a great site.