Advice ref blinking lights all circuits

[Squid]

when all else fails, call in:

May The Power of Laugh Be With You,

Where did you dig that one up from?

 

[Wilko]

Apologies if you've already given this detail - how often is the dimming, how deep and duration?
I love a fault - much more interesting than TV

 

[Lukeowl]

Apologies if you've already given this detail - how often is the dimming, how deep and duration?
I love a fault - much more interesting than TV

Hi there.

It’s hard to answer with specifics. I’ve noticed it pretty much daily - at different times of day and no real set interval between.

The dimming itself is almost like a blink. It’s not what I’d call a flicker - it’s more a flash. Imagine looking at a light and blinking while doing so - it’s very quick.

I can’t really think how else to describe it.

Sometimes I’ve noticed it two or three times in a 10/20 minute period, other times I’ve not noticed it at all in the same time span.

It’s frequent and obvious enough to be a concern to me though.

 

[Kjr79]

Main tail are in reverse live and neutral, probably mixed at the meter when they changed the tails

 

[littlespark]

These questions have maybe been answered before.
Do the lights flicker in unison across all the circuits? Have you tried a table lamp in an alternative socket ie, cooker unit? Still flickers?
If it does, it must be something common to all circuits, such as the supply. If this only started happening after the CU change, then very possibly a loose connection on something that has recently been worked on.
Have ALL connections been retightened? even the factory fitted? (Neutral link between mainswitch and neutral bar?)
It is very easy to misalign the busbar when fitting MCB's. It can sometimes slip up behind the clamp of the breaker, and tightening up the connector screw makes no difference.
Working on the CU tails may have loosened them at the meter just by moving them around. Not something your electrician can check if the seals are still in place.
How does the supply cable come into the house? Overhead wires can give problems, but of course that's up to the Network to check.

We would all be interested to find what the problem is once its been identified.

 

[shaun1]

Main tail are in reverse live and neutral, probably mixed at the meter when they changed the tails

Why would this cause a flicker?

 

[Kjr79]

Reverse polarity!! Energy savers

 

[littlespark]

Reverse polarity!! Energy savers

Politely disagree.
I don't think it would be reverse polarity. The OP said it was ceiling lights as well as table lamps. Likely to be bayonet cap fittings - doesn't matter which way round they're put in... and also said it happens with filament lamps... not 'energy savers' in the sense that if they are CFL or LED.
And between the electrician, his return visit and the ones that came to check the supply, someone would have visually noticed the cables being reversed between the meter and the CU.

 

[Kjr79]

L NN L

Let’s hope your right pretty scary that these electricians haven’t been able to resolve it ‍

 

[Lukeowl]

Politely disagree.
I don't think it would be reverse polarity. The OP said it was ceiling lights as well as table lamps. Likely to be bayonet cap fittings - doesn't matter which way round they're put in... and also said it happens with filament lamps... not 'energy savers' in the sense that if they are CFL or LED.
And between the electrician, his return visit and the ones that came to check the supply, someone would have visually noticed the cables being reversed between the meter and the CU.

I should say that it has been noticeable on LED GU10 bulbs, and also on the old energy saver types (not LED - the ones that looked like small tubes in a loop). It was just more noticeable on the filament type bayonet bulbs. I’ve replaced all them filament types with LED bayonets now and it’s no longer noticeable on those lights, but is still happening on the GU10 bulbs in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.