Worried EX!!!! plus new project

xxwispxx · Post by **xxwispxx** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:36 am

Hi sparkydude,

I need your help. First get the simple one over with. My lighting blew yesterday when i turned on the living room light. The bulb blew out and blew the fuse (5A). I replaced the fuse and everything is ok. The EX is now worried that my fuse box isn't legal because it blew rather than tripped. Is this the case. I have enclosed a picture of it.

The other, i'm gonna install some wall lights in the living room. At present i have a single gang two way switch. But i want to change it to a two gang dimmer. then need to run the wires in a chase so they're hidden. I'm gonna run them from the existing switch, up to the top of the wall, along, and down to where i want the lights. Is this the best way to do it. That way one of the gangs will turn and dim the main light, the other the wall lights. As much info would be great.

tim'll fix it · Post by **tim'll fix it** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:06 pm

I am amazed a light bulb blowing would blow a 5A fuse

plug in fuses are still legal

xxwispxx · Post by **xxwispxx** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:09 pm

Thanx. It was a big bang tho. The glass from the bulb blew out and hit the floor!

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:09 pm

xxwispxx wrote:Hi sparkydude,

I need your help. First get the simple one over with. My lighting blew yesterday when i turned on the living room light. The bulb blew out and blew the fuse (5A). I replaced the fuse and everything is ok. The EX is now worried that my fuse box isn't legal because it blew rather than tripped. Is this the case. I have enclosed a picture of it.

The other, i'm gonna install some wall lights in the living room. At present i have a single gang two way switch. But i want to change it to a two gang dimmer. then need to run the wires in a chase so they're hidden. I'm gonna run them from the existing switch, up to the top of the wall, along, and down to where i want the lights. Is this the best way to do it. That way one of the gangs will turn and dim the main light, the other the wall lights. As much info would be great.

And they said my Multimeter was old

Jaeger_S2k wrote:I have a rather older multi-meter a TMK 500. From my Ham Radio days.

What would you recommend I replace it with, something from the Fluke range, compact but will allow me to do the basics and a bit more.

What are the basic tests that I can undertake with my multi-meter and what/how to do them?

Continuity -

Polarity -

Etc...

You would only trip the meter if you have MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) they do the same job as the fuse but don't need replacing.
Your fuse did exactly what it should do, blow UP! But for just a bulb blowing, must have caused a short or spike as it flipped it's coil.

On age alone and for future safety it wouldn't be a bad idea to have that Consumer/Distribution Unit replaced with a more modern one with MCBs .

Are you sure all your insurance policies are paid up?????

Your EX is worried for your safety???

Maybe it's not run its term yet?

xxwispxx · Post by **xxwispxx** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:15 pm

I think you're right, i do need to get a more up to date one. As for the ex, just good friends now. I think she's worried more about the cats!

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:51 pm

I must admit that it is unusual for a blowing bulb to make the fuse break but it depends on how many other lights on the same circuit were lit at the time of the bulb blowing.

Sparkydude will be on later hopefully

Your fuse box is perfectly legal, but it is old and to be perfectly honest if it was my house I would get it replaced. It will not be cheap and the wiring in your home will also need testing.

It is all about putting things into perspective, to get a sparks to change it for a new one and do the testing is going to cost you in the region of a few hundred quid, I can't give an exact price as I don't know the going rate for doing this. I have always changed consumer units myself (on my own properties) until Part P came into force. You probably have better things to spend a few hndred quid on, but it is in your own interests to get it changed as I believe that you can't put a price on safety. A new split way consumer unit will be much safer.

What you propose to do with the wall lights will only be possible if you have a neutral wire present at the light, if you do not have a neutral then you will have to take a feed from the existing light fitting.

Do you know if you have a neutral wire at the light switch?

xxwispxx · Post by **xxwispxx** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:08 pm

I just took a look inside and this is what is there. Just live and earth. (Two red wires and the earth) Can i not just go from there if i get a double gang?

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:19 pm

xxwispxx wrote:I just took a look inside and this is what is there. Just live and earth. (Two red wires and the earth) Can i not just go from there if i get a double gang?

No, I am afraid not!

The wires that you have at your switch are permanent live and switched live ( this becomes live when the switch is on and lights the lamp) and the earth.

You need a neutral at the switch to be able to run lights from it.

Your light will look something like this at the ceiling rose-

You can see that there is a neutral wire and permanent live wire. You would have to take a feed from here to be able to make a circuit.

It is still possible to fit the wall lights and use the double dimmer switch, but you will need to get a feed from the ceiling rose or junction box.

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:54 am

Hi sorry for not getting back to you yesterday, had a bad nights sleep and a loveley sickness bug yesterday. As UHm says, you cannot simply run from your light switch to your new wall lights as a neutral will be needed. The easiest way is tou gain access to your central ceiling light which will have everything you need at it, Then either take a live neutral and earth from this to a joint box and then connect a new cable to the switch and top the wall lights in this. Or take a twin and earth cable from your rose (with a neutral and earth only used in it) to your switch and then run your twin and earth cable with live neutral and earth to your new wall lights . As you have already got a live at your switch then all you need is a neutral to give you what you need. Or if it is easier, you can do it this way , run a twin and earth to your switch position from your rose , which will use only the live and earth this time. Then run a twin and earth from your rose to the new wall lights which will use all of the cores to feed the lights. In the rose you will connect the neutral from your wall lights to the neutral block of the rose, then the live will join in a connector block in the rose to the live from your twin to th switch. Your earths go together in the earth block of the rose, and you should be left with a neutral core to the switch which is not needed, so leave taped up in the rose,. In the switch tall you need to do is finf the live core out of your two reds, and put a link over to the common of your new switch then the switched live out is either the live to your wall lights in method 1 or the switched live to your ceiling rose in method 2, also in method 1 you will need to lnk the neutral to your wall lights to the neutral in your new twin cable.

As for your lamp blowing the fuse, its nothing to worry about , it may have just made a short circuit for a long time and the extra current created blew the fuse wire. The wire may have been old and wekened by age so that could explain it. Can you post a picture of whats under the fuse cover on the board, (where the fuses are) not the whole front of the fuseboard as that would be a bit dangerous as i might have an idea that will make your life easier as regards to fuses/MCBs, also canyou count how many lights are on this fuse, number of lamps and total wattaghe as this will tell me if you are overloading your circuit.

Hope this helps,any questions feel free to as or PM me.

Nick

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:26 am

You may like to consider replacing the plug in fuses with plug in MCBs, they are only about £8 each, so replacing four isn't to expense, and is a DIY job.

No Sparks needed!

have a look here

xxwispxx · Post by **xxwispxx** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:37 pm

FAO Sparkydude

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:46 pm

I would definiteley conside changing those old fuses for plug in MCBs try looking on ebay for them or Pop into any reputable electrical wholesaler. They should do you a good deal on them if you talkto them niceley.

Nick

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:39 am

Which MCBs?

What make?

A?
B?
C?
D?

Single?
Double?

Hinton Heating · Post by **Hinton Heating** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:23 am

Hinton Heating wrote:You may like to consider replacing the plug in fuses with plug in MCBs, they are only about £8 each, so replacing four isn't to expense, and is a DIY job.

No Sparks needed!

have a look here

CLICK MY LINK!

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/ ... index.html

dont people read the posts!

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:22 am

Allan they do not make A ,C or D types of plug in MCBS they only come in standard B type, i would always use the wylex ones as they are the original manafacturers of the fuse boards.There are other makers, GE, and i think Proteus

make some too but wouldnt recommend them.
As for single or double, they only make single, so you cannot go wrong with them.
Nick

Worried EX!!!! plus new project

Worried EX!!!! plus new project

Re: Worried EX!!!! plus new project