Lights Flickering

[7029 dave]

It could be loose connections in the cutout.

 

[littlespark]

If everything’s been checked in the board, then it must be outside the consumers installation and must be investigated by DNO.

 

[7029 dave]

If everything’s been checked in the board, then it must be outside the consumers installation and must be investigated by DNO.

Sounds like a job for the DNO

 

[Dave OCD]

I've had a 100 amp main switch cause similar issues which were quite hard to pinpoint initially. It had developed a resistance on the neutral which caused intermittent low voltage depending on the load being used. That particular switch was an MK .

 

[marconi]

Grant1987 - what Sir is the earthing system in the home? Are the overhead lines marked pme or can you see the lower neutral conductor connected to an earth electrode at some/all of the wooden poles? Has the overhead been modernised to (the ugly IMHV) 4 cable ABC viz aerial bundled cable?

Any electric car chargers in the street?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

It could be loose connections in the cutout.

I've had a 100 amp main switch cause similar issues

If it's either of these or the meter, it might be possible to provoke it by thumping the meter board. A bad connection or contact that heats but doesn't flicker isn't always ticklish but one that flickers often is.

 

[marconi]

Developing LN's #26: What you could do is to load up the supply to cause Ohmic heating of items like the Main Switch, Cut Out, Meter and any Henleys. A shower, conventional tumble dryer and some electric heaters all on high would be ideal since they would be on more than off. You could use the electric hob and oven but after while this load will cycle on and off and its average power/current will fall to a lower value.

 

[Dave OCD]

As long as he puts a few shillings in the meter first. ?

 

[Grant1987]

Grant1987 - what Sir is the earthing system in the home? Are the overhead lines marked pme or can you see the lower neutral conductor connected to an earth electrode at some/all of the wooden poles? Has the overhead been modernised to (the ugly IMHV) 4 cable ABC viz aerial bundled cable?

Any electric car chargers in the street?

It’s marked as a pme system and all readings come back satisfactory. Also not sure who asked about IR test but I also done that and readings were high in the hundreds so can rule out poor insulation. I’ve contacted DNO they are coming out next week. I’ve supplied customer with LED lamps and they’ve said it seems to have eased the flickering but still briefly shows signs of dimming/flickering. I’ve read a post on here of faulty main switch which sounds plausible same as rcd but it’s occurring in 2 x rcds so I’ll be better off changing the lot. Then after the DNO disregard the fault being on their end I’m going to change all light fittings and switches then I’m going to change consumer unit.

 

[Grant1987]

If it's either of these or the meter, it might be possible to provoke it by thumping the meter board. A bad connection or contact that heats but doesn't flicker isn't always ticklish but one that flickers often is.

I will happily thump the consumer unit and the customer ? told them to ring fellow sparks but they’ll be in same boat as me as I’ve spoken to them all. Well the ones I like us sparks do sometimes create a divide you all know what I mean ??

 

[Grant1987]

I will happily thump the consumer unit and the customer ? told them to ring fellow sparks but they’ll be in same boat as me as I’ve spoken to them all. Well the ones I like us sparks do sometimes create a divide you all know what I mean ??

I honestly feel like crying on this one ? I’ll get to bottom of it but it’s now turned into my worst fault I originally put it in top 5 it’s now on top

 

[marconi]

Could you tell report the PSCC please before and after main switch, with main switch closed. Similarly for the two RCDs.

 

[marconi]

Also ask the customer to switch off at socket when not in use the washing machine,dishwasher, tumble dryer which all have in line emi filters which may be failing.

 

[marconi]

Grant1987 - what Sir is the earthing system in the home? Are the overhead lines marked pme or can you see the lower neutral conductor connected to an earth electrode at some/all of the wooden poles? Has the overhead been modernised to (the ugly IMHV) 4 cable ABC viz aerial bundled cable?

Any electric car chargers in the street?

Any electric car chargers in the street?

 

[UNG]

I honestly feel like crying on this one ? I’ll get to bottom of it but it’s now turned into my worst fault I originally put it in top 5 it’s now on top

Keep your chin up, we all get those faults from hell once in a while but having solved it the pay off is that you will have gained some knowledge and experience to store away for the next one that pops up
If it is of any consolation intermittent faults are the hardest ones to find as you can guarantee that the fault will rarely show itself while you are on site and quite often it can need logging equipment to identify what is happening when it occurs
If the DNO fits a logger get the customer to note the day & time of any flickering of the lights as depending on the sample rate the logger could miss the fault

 

[Grant1987]

Any electric car chargers in the street?

No, there’s none that I’m aware of but I’ll be going back this week and double check

 

[freddo]

I honestly feel like crying on this one ? I’ll get to bottom of it but it’s now turned into my worst fault I originally put it in top 5 it’s now on top

Want to swap? Got to find shared neutrals tomorrow over 50 circuits in the area, quite a few we can't turn off...

 

[Grant1987]

Want to swap? Got to find shared neutrals tomorrow over 50 circuits in the area, quite a few we can't turn off...

Aww sounds like a bad one had a similar one before but not as many circuits as that disconnecting neutrals one by one on neutral bar with continuity/voltage probes on mcb done the trick.

 

[pc1966]

Want to swap? Got to find shared neutrals tomorrow over 50 circuits in the area, quite a few we can't turn off...

Can you current clamp L & N to see if you can find pairs of the same loads, or are all likely to be more or less the same and hard to distinguish on current alone?