Buzzing, beeping flickering and clicking electricity

freddie

Hi guys

I have a problem. My lights keep flickering and my (hotpoint) dishwasher keeps beeping randomly. Its happens every now and again but especially when an oven ring is turned on or something like that. Last night i was woken up with a buzzing/clicking noise coming from the RCD. I only noticed this morning that there is a 50A fuse in the consumer unit (it says there should be a 63A in it, could that be the problem? I would be really grateful for suggestion. As a matter of interest how much would it cost to replace the consumer unit with a new one, as the one we have is about 15 years old

thanks
freddie

looksee

I think you should get an electrician in to check your wiring. We had a slightly similar problem with a fridge that was flickering/behaving oddly and the electrician discovered that someone had led a wire from an upstairs circuit to the kitchen to create a socket using wire that wasn't heavy enough. He said it was a fire waiting to happen. Along with the penny in the (old) circuit board, the amazing bundle of wires under the floorboards all connected with tape, the wall lights that had been connected 'backwards' to the switch, the socket located immediately under the tap of a radiator and so on and on. And don't get me started on the plumbing....

Mr Magnolia

freddie wrote:

My lights keep flickering and my (hotpoint) dishwasher keeps beeping randomly. Its happens every now and again but especially when an oven ring is turned on or something like that. Last night i was woken up with a buzzing/clicking noise coming from the RCD. I only noticed this morning that there is a 50A fuse in the consumer unit (it says there should be a 63A in it, could that be the problem? I would be really grateful for suggestion. As a matter of interest how much would it cost to replace the consumer unit with a new one, as the one we have is about 15 years old

You need to get an electrician in to have a look at these problems.

The lights shouldn't be on your RCD so if they are that's the first problem.

Don't know what's happening with the dishwasher TBH, it's something that will have to be checked.

The buzzing/clicking: the contacts in your RCD may be worn. This will need to be replaced. Probably cost around €70 for the rcd/rcbo or whatever they're using these days.

The 50A fuse should be replaced with a 63A. Not a major problem, if your load went over 50amps the fuse would blow instead of at 63.

I don't work in this field so I'm guessing when I say it will cost you around €350 for the new board.

Stoner

I agree with Mr Magnolia.

The cost seems fair, the size of the fuse has nothing to do with it etc.

Where are you based freddie, sounds like your intake supply could be lacking in punch, are the lights flickering or dimming up and down, if they are dimming up and down , it could be lack "power" into your place. Flickering could be different (maybe spikey input "power")

By the sounds of it the lights are dimming up and down though.

freddie

Thanks for your reply's guys
Had a look around the CU and I tightened a few screws and the fuse and....and so far nothing (as in no flickering or bleeping) hopefully that's it, but for some odd reason I hope its not as I feel a little stupid! will soon be back if not

thanks again
freddie

eoghan.geraghty

Was just about to recommend that freddie, loose terminations are a common cause of electrical fires starting.Did you notice any loose connections?
It would explain the buzzing and crackling/clicking noise.
Don't change your mains fuse for a 63A just yet,if your supply is only 10sq then you should have a 50A fuse according to latest regs, it's lasted you well so far so don't upsize.
I've seen 6sq supplies in older houses!
I charge 350 plus vat for a new board, some guys are cheaper some more expensive, just make sure your sparks has his Ecssa or Reci card.

freddie

There was one loose connection, well not very loose but i was able to get a little less than a full turn if that makes sense. What I did notice was, and I don't know if it makes sense to you experts but the fuse was not screwed in fully. Is it possible that the current could be "jumping" or arching, thus causing the power flicker? As far as i can tell the problem is sorted now, nothing happening tonight (but that would be typical!)

I didn't change the fuse, well i tried to buy one in two hardware stores but they didn't have them!

I started to think it was something I did, maybe you can answer this one

In the Kitchen of my apartment there was a single switch low down on the wall which didn't do anything (labelled kitchen switch on the CU). I replaced the switch with the socket which works fine. Do you think what i did is ok, or have you any idea what the switch could be/have been for?

Mr Magnolia

freddie wrote:

There was one loose connection, well not very loose but i was able to get a little less than a full turn if that makes sense. What I did notice was, and I don't know if it makes sense to you experts but the fuse was not screwed in fully. Is it possible that the current could be "jumping" or arching, thus causing the power flicker? As far as i can tell the problem is sorted now, nothing happening tonight (but that would be typical!)

The loose fuse could very well have been causing the crackling you heard. If there was a lot of arcing going on then the fuse and the cabling supplying it may need to be changed out. You'll need to get this checked.

I didn't change the fuse, well i tried to buy one in two hardware stores but they didn't have them!

Don't worry about changing the fuse out for now. A 50Amp is fine. It will still blow if overloaded, just at a lower load than the 63.

I started to think it was something I did, maybe you can answer this one

In the Kitchen of my apartment there was a single switch low down on the wall which didn't do anything (labelled kitchen switch on the CU). I replaced the switch with the socket which works fine. Do you think what i did is ok, or have you any idea what the switch could be/have been for?

It depends. It sounds like you replaced a spare switched-spur out for a socket which would be fine once it is wired off a socket circuit and not a lighting circuit. A light switch would probably not have a neutral at it. What you need to do is power-off the RCD then check the socket. The socket should be off too. If the socket is 'on' then it is fed from a lighting circuit and should not be used.

TBH you're going to need an electrician to check the cabling and fuse in your consumer unit so ask him/her to have a look at any concerns you may have. If you've any other questions ask away and we'll do our best to answer.

billy_beckham

"If the socket is off when the RCD is off then you can't use it as a socket as it's not fed off the lighting circuits."

Mr Magnolia this sentence makes no sense to me...RCD's protect socket circuits,so if the power to the socket is off when the RCD is off then that is correct!

Mr Magnolia

billy_beckham wrote:

"If the socket is off when the RCD is off then you can't use it as a socket as it's not fed off the lighting circuits."

Mr Magnolia this sentence makes no sense to me...RCD's protect socket circuits,so if the power to the socket is off when the RCD is off then that is correct!

Edited for clarification.

billy_beckham

Mr Magnolia wrote:

Edited for clarification.

That's one way of putting it:o

freddie

Thanks guys
It is not on a lighting circuit as it goes off when the RCD is tripped and it has a Neutral cable. Since tightening everything up the problem seems to be gone, but i will get someone around to take a look.

thanks again
freddie

byte

Is there any chance that the low switch might have been there in the chance that a storage heater was to be installed against that wall?

The switch would usually have a neon light indicator in that case with both neutral and live going through the switch.

freddie

I dont know if it was for a heater but there was defiantly no neon light

freddie

Ok problem is not sorted! dishwasher Started bleeping like mad last night and one of the sockets. So...can anybody recommend a good electrician in the Fairview/Dublin 3 area. Will post this as a new topic as well

thanks
freddie