Short when light turned on sometimes

[aaelectric]

We have been doing work in a flat where we had taken down light and put a temp ceiling rose. All was fine for a month then we fitted new expensive chandeliers. Worked fine for a few weeks then on some mornings the circuit would trip with a bang. Went back did a ir test all was clear 10m ohms between n-e l-e. Tested light that it was blowing from all was clear. Left off for a few days no problem. Refitted it and after a week it starts happening again. Light supplier says it carnt be the light as it would not cause a short. Any thoughts it run in singles in conduit.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I think the fault might be in the junction box. Two twisters have fallen off and the cables touch occasionally.....:mad2:

 

[Plonker 3]

If you have tested the circuit and therenis no sign of a short between either L-N or L-E then maybe its overload or a current inrush?

 

[Knobhead]

I thought they were quite good if used properly they twist the cables together and you can check if all isgood as they screw off

And when you screw them back on they are liable to fracture the copper.

They are rubbish! From previous threads on here many wholesalers have dropped them.

 

[marc_v33]

If you have tested the circuit and therenis no sign of a short between either L-N or L-E then maybe its overload or a current inrush?

Have to agree with you here !

 

[Pete999]

And when you screw them back on they are liable to fracture the copper.

They are rubbish! From previous threads on here many wholesalers have dropped them.

They are the YE HA brigades favorite item aren't they Tony

 

[telectrix]

how are you turning the lights on? are you saying " light, i really fancy you and want to take you to bed" or are you just using a boring switch?

 

[ipf]

wholesaler once told me that the earth was flat.

Might have thought you meant twin and earth...:smile5:

 

[ipf]

If you have tested the circuit and therenis no sign of a short between either L-N or L-E then maybe its overload or a current inrush?

Seen some fittings recommending C type breakers.

 

[Plonker 3]

Seen some fittings recommending C type breakers.

Just hope the Zs complies if thats the case. If it is them the OP may only have until End of June to swap it because after then the max values alter again because all of a sudden the voltage will change magically overnight lol

 

[ipf]

Just hope the Zs complies if thats the case. If it is them the OP may only have until End of June to swap it because after then the max values alter again because all of a sudden the voltage will change magically overnight lol

Shouldn't be too many problems with 2.3 max for a 10 amp C, though.

 

[PEG]

Lampsnot blowing all the time there is 9 in each jb is maintanance free we used twisters for connections would a l-n fault happen when the light is on for the rest ofday after it trips. Would of thought i would keep happening throughout the day ifit was

...Maintenance free...but NOT Repair free...:yes:

 

[Knobhead]

Why lead free? It’s prone to brittleness due to crystallisation.

Every MV connection I’ve made has been with tinmans solder 60% tin 40% lead using rosin flux. Rosin is derived from natural amber.

 

[Marvo]

Go buy yourself 2 x panel mount fuseholders, they're a few pennies each and solder short tails to them and put 2 layers of heatshrink over them to insulate the soldered terminals.


Install one fuseholder in the ceiling connection of each light fitting or chandelier and fit a 2 or 3 Amp fuse.

Next time the circuit disconnects to a fault current either one of the fuses will blow or they'll both still be in tact. If one blows you know which light fitting is causing the problem, if neither of them blow then rewire the circuit if nothing is evident by visual inspection of all junction boxes and terminations, there's probably a wire with a screw through it or something similar.

 

[Knobhead]

Nice idea Marvo, very logical. There’s a minor problem, he’s plastered over the JB. Mind you with “maintenance free” Twisters AKA Screwits AKA Wirenuts he’ll have to dig it out before long.

Surprised no one has mentions lamp orientation. (Not that sort of orientation.) Some lamps don’t take kindly to being angled or inverted.

 

[Knobhead]

They are the YE HA brigades favorite item aren't they Tony

As an apprentice I got lumbered with “Larry” as a mentor. It didn’t last long, he insisted on using Screwits. Even as a youngster I knew they were crap and refused point blank to use them.
Larry reported me to the foreman who came to the workshop, I was expecting to be given a rollicking. He helped me chuck every single Screwit in stores in the crusher. We even emptied Larry’s tool cupboard of them.

They were a disaster waiting to happen from the outset.

I wonder how many electrical fires there are in America? They’re very fond of wirenuts.