dodgy wiring causing fire

[hoover]

well not quite a fire but charring. It was a couple of lights i changed a couple of years ago for a mate. From ceiling roses to these decorative lights with metal base, 100w haleogen lamp and glass cover. Anyway he rings me and tells me that everytime he trys to turn the lights on the trip goes. so i went to investigate and found when i took the first light down a lot of charing as if there had been a small fire in the wooden ground above the plasterboard ceiling. To say i was shocked would be an understatment. Now the second light was fine so i think i can rule out heat emitting from the fitting as the cause. All connections were sound- the 15a plasic connectors had'nt even melted but the cable feeding the light had melted slighty so causing the trip to blow. The house has only been wired not 10 years ago however i think i may have come across in the past a borrowed neutral somewhere between the 2 lighting circuits. Dont think this to be the cause but its got me baffeled otherwise. Any thoughts people?

 

[Spudnik]

Not sure i can be of much help, but,

a few years ago i did a partial rewire at an old cottage.

First off, did a load of testing on the ground floor sockets.

IR very very low.

Told the homeowner taht needs doing too.

Anyways, long and short, pull up floor boards and they were dark greyish in colour.

Found RFC cables and started to pull them out.

As more and more came out, the insulation was getting darker and darker until i pulled out nearly 2 meters of bare twin and earth!!!!!!

Turns out, years ago they has a fire under the floor!!!!!!!!

So, maybe if you can, lift the boards in the room above just to be sure.

 

[stumas]

well not quite a fire but charring. It was a couple of lights i changed a couple of years ago for a mate. From ceiling roses to these decorative lights with metal base, 100w haleogen lamp and glass cover. Anyway he rings me and tells me that everytime he trys to turn the lights on the trip goes. so i went to investigate and found when i took the first light down a lot of charing as if there had been a small fire in the wooden ground above the plasterboard ceiling. To say i was shocked would be an understatment. Now the second light was fine so i think i can rule out heat emitting from the fitting as the cause. All connections were sound- the 15a plasic connectors had'nt even melted but the cable feeding the light had melted slighty so causing the trip to blow. The house has only been wired not 10 years ago however i think i may have come across in the past a borrowed neutral somewhere between the 2 lighting circuits. Dont think this to be the cause but its got me baffeled otherwise. Any thoughts people?

just a thought if the cable was trapped or pulled tight round a bend it could be compessed which cauld caurse a fire

 

[hoover]

just a thought if the cable was trapped or pulled tight round a bend it could be compessed which cauld caurse a fire

Not sure it was either mate but if it was then that could be an explaination i suppose. How trapped or tight would the cables need to be to melt the pvc?