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Any smart electricians out there - a question..


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Just had a word with my sparky son. Although he doesn't like diagnosis without seeing the issue, he reckons that it could be that a negative from another circuit (sometimes on a stairs light) could be the source, or maybe a backfeed from a dimmer switch.

 

Don't shoot the messenger :)

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Just had a word with my sparky son. Although he doesn't like diagnosis without seeing the issue, he reckons that it could be that a negative from another circuit (sometimes on a stairs light) could be the source, or maybe a backfeed from a dimmer switch.

 

Don't shoot the messenger :)

 

No dimmer switches on this ring. Not sure what you mean about the 'negative from another circuit', though - I'll look into this. Thanks :)

 

---------- Post added 30-11-2012 at 09:15 ----------

 

Check your earths.

 

Could be induced "eddy currents"

 

Just tried to find out what these are on Wikipedia but now my head hurts :(

 

Can you explain this like I'm 5?

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I had a problem some years ago where I thought we were using too much electricity.I gradually switched things off and watched the meter turning more slowly.Eventually it got to where we switched everything off completely and in the torchlight the meter was still turning,It turned out to be faulty wiring,

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In one room in our house, when the lights are turned off there is still a 'residual' voltage of around 50 volts in the lighting ring and I have no idea how this can be happening! Anyone got any ideas?

 

if you have any fluorescent lighting on the cct or any luminaires with transformers or electronic ciruitry you have probably got a leakage through a ballast/choke etc. diconnect the fittings one by one and re-test.

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No dimmer switches on this ring. Not sure what you mean about the 'negative from another circuit', though - I'll look into this. Thanks :)

 

Im guessing he means whoever wired the house forgot to run a neutral to one or more of your lights, so tagged one from a socket instead of running a new cable. Happens more often than youd think, the other way around as well.

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Done a bit more investigation:

 

- With energy saving bulbs in, there is a current of 50 volts in the neutral

- With a mix of tungsten and energy savers, there is no current (I'm guessing this is because it's providing resistance)

- With no bulbs in there is no current < this is bizarre!!!

- we can't detect any current in the neutral from the fuse board

- when all the fuses are switched off and the only one on is the bedroom lighting ring, there is still the 50 volt current in the lighting ring

 

In the house there are quite a few strip lights which my be leaking this residual current into the system, however, with all the fuses turned off besides the bedroom one, it's still there!

 

Any more ideas?

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