Power Cut

[St Landrew]

Was just off to bed and now I'm wide awake again after going round the house resetting things like the oven clock and microwave clock. Also finished substituting a 12V transformer for my router after the old one didn't want to restart after a power cut in Lordswood. The entire area was blacked out. It was rather ooer and spooky until I got my sh!t together. Anyone else affected..?

[Master Bates]

I'm affected by this thread if it helps.

[Pancake]

It was rather ooer and spooky until I got my sh!t together. Anyone else affected..?

 

Its a terrible thing to have your **** all broken. Glad to hear you got it back together.

 

And no, I was not without power up 'ere in Essex.

[saint_stevo]

I wish there had been a power cut at the REM gig

[Hatch]

talking of leccy, I took the kitchen lights down to put up some new ones.

 

There are 4 wires, 2 black, one red and one blue, now hanging out of the ceiling.

Shouldn't they be brown or green or something.

[Pancake]

talking of leccy, I took the kitchen lights down to put up some new ones.

 

There are 4 wires, 2 black, one red and one blue, now hanging out of the ceiling.

Shouldn't they be brown or green or something.

 

To find out which ones are which, give em a lick.

[Barfy]

talking of leccy, I took the kitchen lights down to put up some new ones.

 

There are 4 wires, 2 black, one red and one blue, now hanging out of the ceiling.

Shouldn't they be brown or green or something.

 

Just done this too. The black should be your neutral and the red & blue should be the live. Though I wouldn't quote me on that as I only had red & black to deal with.

[Ponty]

I get them all the time out here, but usually during the day when i'm at work. I quite often come home to flashing 00:00 LED displays and the house alarm panel twittering away.

[saint_stevo]

I get them all the time out here, but usually during the day when i'm at work. I quite often come home to flashing 00:00 LED displays and the house alarm panel twittering away.

 

tee hee, is your mrs overly 'tired' aswell?

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

Just done this too. The black should be your neutral and the red & blue should be the live. Though I wouldn't quote me on that as I only had red & black to deal with.

 

No, don't quote him. Blue is neutral...:smt051

[Weston Super Saint]

talking of leccy, I took the kitchen lights down to put up some new ones.

 

There are 4 wires, 2 black, one red and one blue, now hanging out of the ceiling.

Shouldn't they be brown or green or something.

 

Anything like this??

 

 

Now the newer houses tend to save money with all the same colour wires, with a little coloured 'sleeve' on the top of them...

 

Whatever you do, don't lose the little 'sleeve'. I did, and my [then 2.5 year old daughter] learnt some disgusting language as I was thrown off the stool.

[Ponty]

Just done this too. The black should be your neutral and the red & blue should be the live. Though I wouldn't quote me on that as I only had red & black to deal with.

 

No, don't quote him. Blue is neutral...:smt051

 

If faced with only red and black, black is neutral. When there's a blue involved it is often the neutral and black is another live on the ring. This usually only happens when there are two switches in the room for the same light (like you get at the bottom and top of the stairs) or multiple lights on the same switch.

 

It's all very confusing and therefore don't quote me on that either.

[St Landrew]

talking of leccy, I took the kitchen lights down to put up some new ones.

 

There are 4 wires, 2 black, one red and one blue, now hanging out of the ceiling.

Shouldn't they be brown or green or something.

 

just to back up DSMs advice.

 

Newer colours

 

Brown - Live

Blue - Neutral

Green/Yellow - Earth

 

Old Colours

 

Red - Live

Black - Neutral

Dark Green - Earth

 

Hope you're not dead yet. You should be OK, the lighting circuit doesn't have the oomph that the ring main does. It'll shock you, but it won't catapult you across the room.

 

Hope that reassures you.

 

EDIT: Sure that blue isn't dark green..?

Edited 28 August, 2008 by St Landrew

[Ponty]

just to back up DSMs advice.

 

Newer colours

 

Brown - Live

Blue - Neutral

Green/Yellow - Earth

 

Old Colours

 

Red - Live

Black - Neutral

Dark Green - Earth

 

Hope you're not dead yet. You should be OK, the lighting circuit doesn't have the oomph that the ring main does. It'll shock you, but it won't catapult you across the room.

 

Hope that reassures you.

 

EDIT: Sure that blue isn't dark green..?

 

Correct, but in modern houses you'll find brown, red, black, blue and earth alongside each other. And there's only 1 neutral most of the time. It's a minefield

[Junction 9]

It depends if you are using cable or flex. Red and black are still used in twin and earth cable, brown/blue in 3 core flex.

[St Landrew]

Did a bit of lighting circuitry only the other day. I now have a very functional exterior security light. It only took me 7 years to fit it. :cool:

[TopGun]

Did a bit of lighting circuitry only the other day. I now have a very functional exterior security light. It only took me 7 years to fit it. :cool:

 

It has taken me 7 years to fit new internal door handles so that the doors even shut. I'm proud of them now though!

[EastleighSoulBoy]

just to back up DSMs advice.

 

Newer colours

 

Brown - Live

Blue - Neutral

Green/Yellow - Earth

 

Old Colours

 

Red - Live

Black - Neutral

Dark Green - Earth

 

Hope you're not dead yet. You should be OK, the lighting circuit doesn't have the oomph that the ring main does. It'll shock you, but it won't catapult you across the room.

 

Hope that reassures you.

 

EDIT: Sure that blue isn't dark green..?

 

Oh yes it does! Over 30mA and you could be stiff before you know it.

 

The lighting circuit has the same oomph. It's at 230 V ~ the same as the ring main. Lighting circuits are protected by (normally) a 6 amp trip. The ring main by a 32 amp trip.

 

Irrespective of those two trips, if you don't have an RCD (Residual current device) on your incomer, rated at 30mA, then you could be frying tonight.

 

If you have all reds and blacks hanging from the ceiling then one of the blacks should have a red sleeve or tape on it as it is the 'switch' wire and could be at mains potential. that's why when ***s put all the blacks together and throw the switch, the fuse blows.

 

Always, always, always turn off the lighting trip to work on a lighting circuit.

 

Always, always, always try the other lights on the same circuit to check there is no power present on that circuit.

 

Always, always, always mark the black one on it's own with some red tape or anything to differentiate it from the other blacks before disconnecting those other blacks.

 

If in doubt, call the sparky out!

 

The £10,000 pound I charge for a call out will be cheaper than losing your life!

 

It's the Volts that jolts, but the mills that kills!

Edited 28 August, 2008 by EastleighSoulBoy

[saint francis]

Or get the missus to do it.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

It depends if you are using cable or flex. Red and black are still used in twin and earth cable, brown/blue in 3 core flex.

 

Red and black have not been used in twin and earth for quite a few years now. Although it obviously exists in homes wired prior to the change in colour coding.

[saint boggy]

this thread has made me feel a bit dizzy....

[EastleighSoulBoy]

this thread has made me feel a bit dizzy....

 

Make yourself a cuppa, sit down and take a few moments to compose yourself! :smt048

[mack rill]

Oh yes it does! Over 30mA and you could be stiff before you know it.

 

The lighting circuit has the same oomph. It's at 230 V ~ the same as the ring main. Lighting circuits are protected by (normally) a 6 amp trip. The ring main by a 32 amp trip.

 

Irrespective of those two trips, if you don't have an RCD (Residual current device) on your incomer, rated at 30mA, then you could be frying tonight.

 

If you have all reds and blacks hanging from the ceiling then one of the blacks should have a red sleeve or tape on it as it is the 'switch' wire and could be at mains potential. that's why when ***s put all the blacks together and throw the switch, the fuse blows.

 

Always, always, always turn off the lighting trip to work on a lighting circuit.

 

Always, always, always try the other lights on the same circuit to check there is no power present on that circuit.

 

Always, always, always mark the black one on it's own with some red tape or anything to differentiate it from the other blacks before disconnecting those other blacks.

 

If in doubt, call the sparky out!

 

The £10,000 pound I charge for a call out will be cheaper than losing your life!

 

It's the Volts that jolts, but the mills that kills!

 

Fu*kin spot on ESB.....i have had the Buzzzzzzzzzzz and still bear the scares to remind me.() thats me after the shock!

[St Landrew]

...the lighting circuit doesn't have the oomph that the ring main does. It'll shock you, but it won't catapult you across the room.

 

Oh yes it does! Over 30mA and you could be stiff before you know it.

 

The lighting circuit has the same oomph. It's at 230 V ~ the same as the ring main. Lighting circuits are protected by (normally) a 6 amp trip. The ring main by a 32 amp trip.

 

Irrespective of those two trips, if you don't have an RCD (Residual current device) on your incomer, rated at 30mA, then you could be frying tonight.

 

 

It's the Volts that jolts, but the mills that kills!

 

I wouldn't even begin to argue the point, ESB. I'm just going on personal experience of the wiring in my home. To illustrate [hangs head in shame], I once changed all the lighting switches in the house during a redecoration. Not a problem, except for one, which wouldn't operate. I checked out the switch - OK, and then swapped it over - fine. I eventually traced the problem, but not before darkness had begun to fall, and I turned on the lighting circuit so that I could see what I was doing..! I kept getting tiny jolts through the wiring, and thinking there was something amiss because of it.

 

I mean... how f**king stupid can you get..?

 

Anyway, as the clanger crashed through my flooring, I realised what I'd done. I turned off the circuit, got a torch, traced the problem, and never got a shock again.

 

And the lighting still works, 8 years on. :roll:

 

Btw, that's a good motto, and I do use your always, always, always procedures.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

I wouldn't even begin to argue the point, ESB. I'm just going on personal experience of the wiring in my home. To illustrate [hangs head in shame], I once changed all the lighting switches in the house during a redecoration. Not a problem, except for one, which wouldn't operate. I checked out the switch - OK, and then swapped it over - fine. I eventually traced the problem, but not before darkness had begun to fall, and I turned on the lighting circuit so that I could see what I was doing..! I kept getting tiny jolts through the wiring, and thinking there was something amiss because of it.

 

I mean... how f**king stupid can you get..?

 

Anyway, as the clanger crashed through my flooring, I realised what I'd done. I turned off the circuit, got a torch, traced the problem, and never got a shock again.

 

And the lighting still works, 8 years on. :roll:

 

Btw, that's a good motto, and I do use your always, always, always procedures.

 

Even after 35 years in the game I have made the odd slip. Never get too confident with the juice!