D
Deleted member 307320
Probably worth mentioning that there's no sign of this issue elsewhere in the property
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D
Deleted member 307320
Stay dim, get progressively dimmer when load is added to the kitchen ring
Have you anything like a plug in volt meter, so MiL could easily report what she sees the voltage doing, when the lights dim?
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D
Deleted member 307320
I'm going to leave my MFT plugged in for a few days so she can keep an eye on the readings
That suggests a very local problem.
Thinking aloud ....
Do I take it that you have measured (or will measure) the L-N loop impedance, rather than the L-E loop impedance ('EFLI'/Zs) - since the latter would 'miss' a high impedance in the neutral path?
Where have you measured (or will measure) the loop impedance? The most obvious place would presumably be at the location of the high-current appliance which, when switched on, resulted in the lights dimming.
High impedance due to 'loose connections' etc. can be current-dependent and so could be missed by an MFT measurement using low current.
I am assuming/hoping that someone with an MFT will know how to use it safely when measuring 'live' voltages. If it were me, I think I would open up the CU, switch on something that resulted in the lights dimming, and then probe around inside the CU to ascertain where (if anywhere) the voltage was still 'normal' and where it was (presumably) substantially reduced- which should go a long way to identifying where the problem is arising.
Kind Regards, John
Could you perhaps clarify exactly what you mean by that? Are you saying that (as one might expect) the lights only dim when a high load is applied to one particular circuit, or what?
Kind Regards, John
D
Deleted member 307320
The dimming only seems to affect the kitchen lights, none elsewhere in the house.
It also seems to be affected by something outside of the property, it was particularly bad yesterday and there wasn't much load on the CU. Assuming it was from the neighbours as they share the service head...
I was going to check it out tonight, but I got home and realised I'd forgotten my MFT
If the bulbs are all LEDs could you swap 1 for a halogen ?
I’ve seen some very odd occurrences when there are led bulbs or transformers in the same property - normally on the same circuit though
I’ve seen some very odd occurrences when there are led bulbs or transformers in the same property - normally on the same circuit though
Thanks for clarifying. Does that mean that the kitchen lights are on a different circuit from the other lights in the house? If do,is it perhaps possible that the kitchen lights circuit and the circuit on which large loads dim the lights have something in common - e.g. protected by the same RCD on a dual-RCD CU?
That obviously potentially moves the goalposts, and maybe adds more weight to erics suggestion of a problem with the incoming neutral.
However, I still think that the process I described would probably be the quickest/easiest way to discover where the finger should be pointing. If there is a supply-side problem (e.g. with the supply neutral) then you would expect to see a markedly reduced L-N pd at the origin' of thee installation (e..g. the CU's Main Switch) when the lights were dim.. Per comments from eric, that would make it wise to measure the
I'm reassured to hear that it's not only me who is guilty of such oversightsI was going to check it out tonight, but I got home and realised I'd forgotten my MFT
Kind Regards, John
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