Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

TIA
Stephen

StudioTwo wrote:
Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

TIA
Stephen

sure. Now can you think of something better to spend your time on?

NT

"StudioTwo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

TIA
Stephen

If it was a Philips energy saving 18w light bulb like the ones being sold by
Morrisons a few months ago then I would understand. Philips have admitted
there is an electrical problem with the bulbs but have NOT recalled them,
but will send replacements to anyone who bought them - providing you
complain! They wouldn't tell people there is a safety problem concerning
the electrical starter circuitry. It causes the light to be activated by
tiny currents flowing between neutral and earth. So if you bought a Philips
18w energy saving bulb, contact them via the website and provide details of
what is on the box such as a barcode.

It's a shame Philips sold them all off cheap via supermarkets rather than
recalling lights which in my opinion are a fire hazard. If they were not
and there was no problem, they wouldn't have sent me new ones.

"StudioTwo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

TIA
Stephen

i havnt an answer, but thats interesting as mine have been doing that since
ive lived in my house, a few years now, they can go days/weeks/months
without flickering, then all of a sudden they start flickering more
noticeable in the winter months as the lights are on earlier, only the
lights though no other electrical problems.
now we have across the road from us a rail way line and power cables running
from pylons, I say across the road more like a few thousand meters, so ive
always put it down to interference from these ?

sheba wrote:
If it was a Philips energy saving 18w light bulb like the ones being
sold by
Morrisons a few months ago then I would understand. Philips have admitted
there is an electrical problem with the bulbs but have NOT recalled them,
but will send replacements to anyone who bought them - providing you
complain! They wouldn't tell people there is a safety problem concerning
the electrical starter circuitry.

B*(locks

It causes the light to be activated by
tiny currents flowing between neutral and earth.

Sigh... This paranoia appeared in another newsgroup posting. Been
debunked quite successfully by many posters.

1. When has a lamp ever had an earth connection?
2. When has capacitive coupling ever been a source of potential combustion?

So if you bought a Philips
18w energy saving bulb, contact them via the website and provide details of
what is on the box such as a barcode.

It's a shame Philips sold them all off cheap via supermarkets rather than
recalling lights which in my opinion are a fire hazard. If they were not
and there was no problem, they wouldn't have sent me new ones.

No, they replaced it because they didn't want to be bothered trying to
convince you otherwise.....

--
Adrian C

StudioTwo wrote:

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

Have you checked with your neighbours (or anybody else, for that matter)
whether they can detect the problem in YOUR house, or whether YOU can
detect in THEIR houses?

David

Lobster wrote:
StudioTwo wrote:

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

Have you checked with your neighbours (or anybody else, for that matter)
whether they can detect the problem in YOUR house, or whether YOU can
detect in THEIR houses?

David

I thought that the frequency fluctuated but I wouldn't have thought
that this was detectable, even on fluorescent tubes.

Kevin

If I am correct the two houses next to you will be on different phases
so check with the house three doors down has they will be on the same
phase as you.

StudioTwo wrote:
Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

Get the electricity board in to check. When I saw this last, the main
incomer to the house was loose in the company fuse, and it was arcing.

Fair made a mess of the insuation, as it was quite melted.

Cheers

Paul.

Trevor Smith wrote:

If I am correct the two houses next to you will be on different phases
so check with the house three doors down has they will be on the same
phase as you.

No, AIUI the phases tend to go R-Y-B-B-Y-R-R-Y-B-etc., so next door
might be on the same phase, and 3 doors away won't necessarily be on the
same phase as you.

I don't know why they do it that way, but they do, apparently.

--
Andy

"Adrian C" wrote in message
...
sheba wrote:

1. When has a lamp ever had an earth connection?

When it is a table (or floor standing) lamp with a metal bayonet bulb holder.

(I recently replace the flex in one of mine. The bulb holder had an earth
terminal but the original flex was only two wire which I found surprising.)l


--

Michael Chare

Michael Chare wrote:
"Adrian C" wrote in message
1. When has a lamp ever had an earth connection?

When it is a table (or floor standing) lamp with a metal bayonet bulb holder.

Yikes, I meant bulb....

--
Adrian C

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.
Stephen

Try taking a portable radio and tune it OFF station so you get a lot of
hiss then take it near to your mains inlet to the house. If it gets
worse the closer you get then call the Lekky Board.

Chris.

On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:24:07 +0000, Andy Wade wrote:

Trevor Smith wrote:

If I am correct the two houses next to you will be on different phases
so check with the house three doors down has they will be on the same
phase as you.

No, AIUI the phases tend to go R-Y-B-B-Y-R-R-Y-B-etc., so next door
might be on the same phase, and 3 doors away won't necessarily be on the
same phase as you.

On a housing estate, yes - in theory. Unfortunately what the planners put
on the service plans weren't always how the cable jointers connected them.
On older overhead systems, there are more houses connected to B phase, coz
it's at the bottom just above the neutral, so the linesman doesn't have to
reach up quite so far......

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

On 13 Dec 2005 10:58:06 -0800, StudioTwo wrote:

Hello,

The past few weeks I have become aware of the house lights flickering
very slightly. I'm pretty certain it is not my eyes / imagination as it
is not something I have ever noticed in other buildings.

The effect is VERY slight but regular (approx 40 times per minute). It
is something I am aware of from time to time (so who is to say whether
it is intermitted or I just don't notice it). As i said, the effect is
very slight and it applies to lightling plugged into the mains sockets
as well as ceiling lights.

I have checked with my neighbours, but they have not noticed any
problem. Is this something that can be easily detected with the proper
equipment?

Do you have anybody around into repairing old bangers, possibly using a
plug-in welder. They can be notorious culprits for causing flicker,
especially if the distribution system is in a rather strung-out rural
location.

Another possibility, are there any water extraction boreholes around?

Others have already told you to contact the local electricity company. Do
so, and don't be fobbed off. The first reaction you'll get is probably 'Oh
that's within limits' or similar. Tell tham it's a very perceptible
flicker.

The electricity company have a duty to provide you with a relatively clean
supply, and if it turns out to be some process in nearby workshop units,
they'll follow it up, but any help you can give them will speed things up.
Keep a log over a few days detailing the *exact* times the lights start and
stop flickering. Times can help in tracking down any intermittent processes
elsewhere that may be causing the problem. Also do a little detective work
yourself. If you're in a wholly residential area there's unlikely to be
anything obvious, but if you live near workshops, industrial units, it's
worth doing a little discrete snooping, see if you can find out what they
do.

Having said all of that, if the problem turns out to be with your
installation, they'll charge you for determing that. You have checked your
own electrical installation?

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

The Wanderer wrote:

[R-Y-B-B-Y-R phase order]
On a housing estate, yes - in theory.

What's the logic in doing it that way, rather than R-Y-B-R-Y-B?

Unfortunately what the planners put on the service plans weren't
always how the cable jointers connected them.

No surprise there.

On older overhead systems, there are more houses connected to B phase, coz
it's at the bottom just above the neutral, so the linesman doesn't have to
reach up quite so far......

.... and doesn't have to reach across the other live phases, I guess.
Sounds to me like a healthy self-preservation instinct on their part.
Sod the balance...

Now, is the supply industry going to start calling its phases BRN, BLK &
GRY in line with the new wiring colours, or will they stick resolutely
to R, Y & B?

--
Andy

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 13:59:34 +0000, Andy Wade wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:

[R-Y-B-B-Y-R phase order]
On a housing estate, yes - in theory.

What's the logic in doing it that way, rather than R-Y-B-R-Y-B?

It's a long time ago that I did any serious studying on the issue, but I
seem to recollect that it could be proven mathematically that the RYBBYR
sequence gave a better load balance along the length of the circuits than a
RYBRYB distribution. It's also like the mathematical proof that using 3
phases was about (I'm guessing at the actual figure) 98.5% as efficient as
n phases, where n tends to infinity. (I'm surprised no one has ever thought
to ask why we don't adopt polyphase systems more widely in uk.d-i-y)[1] :-)

Unfortunately they are all the sorts of things that you have to absorb
during the learning process, but you never actually used in real life.

If there's anyone out there who's more up to date with the theory, I'd
welcome a refresher. :-)

In a way, it's a bit like studying differential calculus. I understood it
at the time as a callow youth, but never found anything in real life that
it related to, and now, I can't remember a thing about it, whereas trig I
put into use one way or another all of my life......

[1] I did admit I was guessing at the figure, but the cost implications of
using more than three phases far outweigh any improvements in energy
transmission.

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

The Wanderer wrote:
Also do a little detective work
yourself. If you're in a wholly residential area there's unlikely to be
anything obvious, but if you live near workshops, industrial units, it's
worth doing a little discrete snooping, see if you can find out what they
do.

If there is a bank nearby, it's obvious someone is trying to tunnel into
the safe. Check for small earth tremors...

I seem to remember back in the late seventies when we had electrical
workers out on strike, that they would make the lights briefly flicker
before cutting the power completely. Thought that was courteous....

--
Adrian C

In article ,
The Wanderer wrote:

......... It's also like the mathematical proof that using 3
phases was about (I'm guessing at the actual figure) 98.5% as
efficient as n phases, where n tends to infinity. (I'm surprised
no one has ever thought to ask why we don't adopt polyphase
systems more widely in uk.d-i-y)[1] :-)

If there's anyone out there who's more up to date with the
theory, I'd welcome a refresher. :-)

It's more a question of being out of date rather than
up to date. Here are the numbers from my 1957 seventh
edition of "Electrical Technology" by H.Cotton.

The proof can be applied to many electrical systems,
even distribution systems. Cotton just takes an AC
generator for his example.

In a particular frame size a single-phase generator
can be made that produces a power output of P.

In that same frame size a 2-phase generator would
produce 1.414P..... A 3-phase 1.5P and an m=phase,
(where m is a large number), would produce 1.57P.

1.57P is the maximum AC power from that frame size,
only about 4.5% more than the 1.5P from 3-phases.

--
Tony Williams.