At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house
not working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main incoming
supply I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming supply.
Asked next door neighbour if he was having problems but he wasn't and
house opposite was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my electric
meter was faulty and they put me through to the main suppliers who took
a fault report and said they would call me back (still waiting) at 16.00
I rang the main 0800 number and an automated announcement said they were
aware of a fault in the Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power
went off in the area and about 30secs later everything cames back on at
full 240V. Rang helpline again and it stated "there was an overhead
supply problem". Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Thoughts please?

"Steve P" wrote in message
...
At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house not
working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main incoming supply
I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming supply. Asked next
door neighbour if he was having problems but he wasn't and house opposite
was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my electric meter was faulty and
they put me through to the main suppliers who took a fault report and said
they would call me back (still waiting) at 16.00 I rang the main 0800
number and an automated announcement said they were aware of a fault in
the Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power went off in the area and
about 30secs later everything cames back on at full 240V. Rang helpline
again and it stated "there was an overhead supply problem". Throughout the
period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the only thing that worked correctly
was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours were
OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Thoughts please?



Easy, broken HV jumper of the high voltage network.

Steve Dawson

Thoughts please?



Easy, broken HV jumper of the high voltage network.

Steve Dawson


To elaborate a bit more, the supply to your local substation was swapped
from one hv feeder to another, probably to allow a repair to be carried out.

In article , Steve P
writes
At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house
not working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main incoming
supply I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming supply.
Asked next door neighbour if he was having problems but he wasn't and
house opposite was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my electric
meter was faulty and they put me through to the main suppliers who took
a fault report and said they would call me back (still waiting) at 16.00
I rang the main 0800 number and an automated announcement said they were
aware of a fault in the Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power
went off in the area and about 30secs later everything cames back on at
full 240V. Rang helpline again and it stated "there was an overhead
supply problem".

Possibly a phase "missing" on the high voltage overhead network?.

Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?

Yes most gear with a switch mode supply therein can operate well below
the "nominal" operating voltage.

As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Are you certain that the neighbours were all OK and did U measure their
supply volts?. Street lights possibly needed more volts than what were
available to get started.

Do bear in mind that your underground estate supply will more then
likely be fed via an overhead supply somewhere.

Thoughts please?



--
Tony Sayer

Steve P wrote:

As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Typically, adjacent house are on different phases - so a fault which
affects just one phase (at your substation) will najjer the supply to
roughly every third house. I don't know how in practice streetlight
supplies are taken from the local substation - p'raps someone who does
will pipe up real soon now ;-)

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 21:44:09 +0000, Stefek Zaba
wrote:

Steve P wrote:

As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Typically, adjacent house are on different phases - so a fault which
affects just one phase (at your substation) will najjer the supply to
roughly every third house. I don't know how in practice streetlight
supplies are taken from the local substation - p'raps someone who does
will pipe up real soon now ;-)

Could it be that at various points around the town a single phase supply
is handed over to the light dept who wire their own lampposts.

It won't be a very big load.

DG

As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours were
OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Fault just on one phase; you are on same phase as streetlights and voltage
too low for them to strike?

tony sayer wrote in news
Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?

Yes most gear with a switch mode supply therein can operate well below
the "nominal" operating voltage.

So that's why my 32" widescreen telly doesn't miss a beat when my lights go
very dim,(which happens frequently here just ouside the M25)

I often wondered

mike

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 21:44:09 +0000, Stefek Zaba
wrote:

I don't know how in practice streetlight
supplies are taken from the local substation - p'raps someone who does
will pipe up real soon now ;-)

That's something I was wondering about whilst all the streetlights
around here were being replaced :-)

--
Frank Erskine

Steve P wrote:
snip
supply problem". Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Thoughts please?

It's probably not a good idea to use electronic appliances, even if they
seem to work.
While it may be fine to run the TV at 110V, some designs of auto-switching
unit will have problems at 170 or so, and even if not, it's vastly
more likely when there is a fault like this that you'll get spikes as
it's fixed, which may kill what you're using.

Ian Stirling wrote:


It's probably not a good idea to use electronic appliances, even if they
seem to work.
While it may be fine to run the TV at 110V, some designs of auto-switching
unit will have problems at 170 or so, and even if not, it's vastly
more likely when there is a fault like this that you'll get spikes as
it's fixed, which may kill what you're using.

Dead right. Some years ago we lost quite a few PCs and workstations
during an extended brownout/blackout/brownout cycling thang - apparently
some of the "autoranging" PSUs were designed to sense what part of the
world they were in, "locked" onto the idea they were in 110V-land when
the voltage went low for a longer period, and then stayed "locked" as it
came up to the full 240V. Whether that was an accurate description of
the underlying mechanism, a simplified version, or pure bull - the fact
remains that having gear connected while the supply voltage dances up
and down is often a Bad Idea...

On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 00:54:49 +0000, Stefek Zaba
strung together this:

Dead right. Some years ago we lost quite a few PCs and workstations
during an extended brownout/blackout/brownout cycling thang - apparently
some of the "autoranging" PSUs were designed to sense what part of the
world they were in, "locked" onto the idea they were in 110V-land when
the voltage went low for a longer period, and then stayed "locked" as it
came up to the full 240V. Whether that was an accurate description of
the underlying mechanism, a simplified version, or pure bull - the fact
remains that having gear connected while the supply voltage dances up
and down is often a Bad Idea...

Another good reason for the incluision of a UPS by your treasured
electronic equipment.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

I have now found out that my cordless phone with 2 cordless extensions
has stopped working presumably because of power problems. Anybody know
if the Electric Company pay compensation for damaged equipment?

"Steve P" wrote in message
...
At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house
not working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main
incoming supply I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming
supply. Asked next door neighbour if he was having problems but he
wasn't and house opposite was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my
electric meter was faulty and they put me through to the main
suppliers who took a fault report and said they would call me back
(still waiting) at 16.00 I rang the main 0800 number and an automated
announcement said they were aware of a fault in the
Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power went off in the area and
about 30secs later everything cames back on at full 240V. Rang
helpline again and it stated "there was an overhead supply problem".
Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the only thing that
worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Thoughts please?

On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 09:37:37 +0000 (UTC), "Steve P"
strung together this:

I have now found out that my cordless phone with 2 cordless extensions
has stopped working presumably because of power problems. Anybody know
if the Electric Company pay compensation for damaged equipment?

Sometimes, ask them.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

Steve P wrote:

At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house
not working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main incoming
supply I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming supply.
Asked next door neighbour if he was having problems but he wasn't and
house opposite was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my electric
meter was faulty and they put me through to the main suppliers who took
a fault report and said they would call me back (still waiting) at 16.00
I rang the main 0800 number and an automated announcement said they were
aware of a fault in the Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power
went off in the area and about 30secs later everything cames back on at
full 240V. Rang helpline again and it stated "there was an overhead
supply problem". Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?


I'd say a phase went on the overheads.

If your spupply was off 2 or 3 phases, then such a low voltage could occur.

Thoughts please?

mike ring wrote:

tony sayer wrote in news

Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the
only thing that worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?

Yes most gear with a switch mode supply therein can operate well below
the "nominal" operating voltage.


So that's why my 32" widescreen telly doesn't miss a beat when my lights go
very dim,(which happens frequently here just ouside the M25)

I often wondered


Yes. I worked once on an industrial oscilloscope design that had a power
supply capable of running off anything from 48v DC (aircraft apparently)
to 250v AC. Just plugged it in, and off it went. No jumpers, nothing.



mike

On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 09:37:37 +0000 (UTC), Steve P wrote:

I have now found out that my cordless phone with 2 cordless extensions
has stopped working presumably because of power problems. Anybody know
if the Electric Company pay compensation for damaged equipment?

"Steve P" wrote in message
...
At about 10.30 this morning I noticed several appliances in the house
not working and lights were dim. On taking a meter to the main
incoming supply I was supprised to find only 120-140V on the incoming
supply. Asked next door neighbour if he was having problems but he
wasn't and house opposite was OK as well! I rang Seeboard thinking my
electric meter was faulty and they put me through to the main
suppliers who took a fault report and said they would call me back
(still waiting) at 16.00 I rang the main 0800 number and an automated
announcement said they were aware of a fault in the
Brighton/Rottingdean area. At 18.00 all power went off in the area and
about 30secs later everything cames back on at full 240V. Rang
helpline again and it stated "there was an overhead supply problem".
Throughout the period of low voltage (10.30-18.00) the only thing that
worked correctly was my 28in widescreen TV!
I am assuming my TV can operate on any voltage from 110 to 240?
As the whole estate is fed by underground supply how come neighbours
were OK, I got 110V and the street lights didn't work at all?

Thoughts please?



At a guess, I reckon Stephen Dawson most likely had the correct reason for
the problem, although it might have been a tree bringing down just one
phase of a high voltage circuit rather than a broken hv jumper. If you
happen to live in a fairly remote rural location, it's quite possible that
the hv protection failed to isolate the problem.

As to compensation, not unless you can show the company were negligent.
Questions to ask a 'When was the circuit last given a routine
inspection? How often should the circuit be inspected? Is there any record
on the line inspection data that might indicate there was a potential fault
brewing? Is there any record of tree cutting needed anywhere along the
circuit that normally supplies my electricity? What actually caused the
broken jumper or conductor?'

Bearing in mind that we've had a couple of days of very windy weather, I
think you've very little chance of proving negligence on the part of
SeeBoard unless you can prove that there was a pre-gales condition that
they knew about and failed to correct.

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

"Derek *" wrote
| I don't know how in practice streetlight supplies are taken from
| the local substation - p'raps someone who does will pipe up
| real soon now ;-)
| Could it be that at various points around the town a single phase supply
| is handed over to the light dept who wire their own lampposts.

It varies. In some localities, with overhead wiring, there's a fifth
(additional to the three phases and neutral) wire on the poles, which is a
timeswitched feed for streetlights mounted on the electric supply poles.
Every 15 poles or so there'll be a rusty Venner timeswitch hanging off the
pole.

In urban areas most streetlights will be fed individually on a single-phase
tap from the local 3-phase. Illuminated bollards and traffic signs will
usually be clustered on a switched supply from a streetlight which has a
photocell switching the cluster.

If you've nothing better to do about 3.30 this afternoon watch the
streetlights come on in batches :-)

Owain