Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Strange electrical issues in an old house

Options
  • 28-04-2021 12:56am
    #1
    blahblahbla
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭


    I bought a 30 year old house a few months ago and when I moved in I brought an electrician out to fix some small issues I had. Like a faulty light switch, got a new boiler timer, and tidy up some loose wires that were coming out of what looked like where a socket used to be.

    In the last few weeks I've noticed some more issues.
    I have a socket beside my bed with two plugs.I usually have a baby monitor in one and I charge my phone off the other. Sometimes one of them stops working. I can have a charger plugged in some night and it just randomly wont work unless I play around with unplugging the plug next to it and switching them around.

    The other issue I've had come up is the lights in the landing have started acting up. When I switch on the light switch the bulb just flashes and goes off. SO every time I flick the switch the bulb just flashes. There are two switches that control the lights, one upstairs and one downstairs. It seems that they both have to be switched on for the lights to work properly.

    I've never lived in a house where these kind of problems have shown up, is it more likely that these things are just unlucky coincidences and are simple faulty sockets and switches or is it a sign that there is something really wrong?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    markmoto
    Registered Users Posts: 788 ✭✭✭markmoto


    blahblahbla wrote: »
    I bought a 30 year old house a few months ago and when I moved in I brought an electrician out to fix some small issues I had. Like a faulty light switch, got a new boiler timer, and tidy up some loose wires that were coming out of what looked like where a socket used to be.

    In the last few weeks I've noticed some more issues.
    I have a socket beside my bed with two plugs.I usually have a baby monitor in one and I charge my phone off the other. Sometimes one of them stops working. I can have a charger plugged in some night and it just randomly wont work unless I play around with unplugging the plug next to it and switching them around.

    The other issue I've had come up is the lights in the landing have started acting up. When I switch on the light switch the bulb just flashes and goes off. SO every time I flick the switch the bulb just flashes. There are two switches that control the lights, one upstairs and one downstairs. It seems that they both have to be switched on for the lights to work properly.

    I've never lived in a house where these kind of problems have shown up, is it more likely that these things are just unlucky coincidences and are simple faulty sockets and switches or is it a sign that there is something really wrong?


    Clamp meter monitor?
    https://www.ebay.ie/itm/324570536428


  • Options
    #3
    meercat
    Registered Users Posts: 4,726 ✭✭✭meercat


    Most likely loose connections at the outlets. An easy fix for a competent rec but don’t leave it too long to get these issues checked.


  • Options
    #4
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,532 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    +1

    Simple enough to fix I would think.


  • Options
    #5
    Chuck Noland
    Registered Users Posts: 1,908 ✭✭✭Chuck Noland


    If the wiring has been in place since the day it was built I would suggest asking a REC about a re-wire. It’s costly to do and requires a lot of chasing and taking up floors but you need to ask your self how long you think you’ll live there and how old the wiring is currently. If the combined answer is 50/60 years at a minimum then re wiring now is the answer. Our requirements for power consumption and safety have changed quite a bit in 30 years and I would assume they will continue to do so. By completing these works now it will mean in the future when you’ve invested heavily in things like built in units and hardwood floors, you won’t have to worry about removing them. Also if you do it now you can custom build the installation so you have adequate sockets to remove the use of extension leads, and add in outside power and lighting, cat 6 cables for smart TVs and a whole lot of other practical things. From a safety POV things like bathrooms on combi’s, earthing and bonding, mains operated smoke detectors etc could, in a worse case scenario, save the life of you or a family member. This is something I tell people all the time “Don’t look at this as an expense, look at it as an investment”


  • Options
    #6
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,160 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    OP it looks like you need an electrician. It is fairly basic faults but they still need to be fixed. It's most sounds like loose wires. I am not sure I would priotize a full rewire at this stage. However you can now get three pin sockets with USB points on them. One of these might be handy at the side of the bed and one in the kitchen.

    A full rewire will run into 5k+. In the scheme of things it's a substantial punt of money. However if you are considering doing a lot of work to the house I would make sure to fix any issues that would be there.

    Is the house a bungalow or a two story. One issue you may have is the quality of the switches and sockets may be poor and it may be an idea to swap them out over time. Definitely make sure you fit smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. It is possible to fit these yourself if you are handy or know someone that is handy. There are newer ones with 10year battery life and you only need to check them when installed no messing with replacement batteries

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Curious_Case
    Registered Users Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭Curious_Case


    You mentioned a 2-gang socket, if only one side of it is having problems then the wiring from the fusebox to the socket could still be ok.

    (Edit: just to clarify, if cable is loose at socket terminals you would expect both sides to behave similarly so if one side is acting up more than the other it suggests bad contacts between plug pins and socket receptacles.

    Both problems you mentioned (socket & light) sound like either loose connections where the cables connect to the fittings or, equally likely, bad contacts in switches and between plug pins and socket receptacles.

    Loose connections have gaps,
    Sparks jump gaps,
    Sparks cause heat.


  • Options
    #8
    Pandiculation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 309 ✭✭Pandiculation


    I wouldn't really regard a 30 year old house as an 'old house'. That's very modern and unlikely to have issues that you'd find in very old wiring. It's not unusual to have a house wired in the 1970s and you'd still find plenty that were wired long before that.

    The issues you're describing mostly sound like wear and tear on sockets. They're not indestructible and the terminals eventually wear out if they're used a lot, and particularly the cheaper low quality brands.

    If you've a loose socket, it should be replaced as it means the receptacles aren't making contact with the pins on the plug.

    The lighting issue sounds more like someone has messed around with the wiring on a three-way switch setup.

    If the sockets and switches are that worn out after 30 years, it would suggest to me that someone used very poor quality fittings. They're all easily replaced though like-for-like with new fittings, just don't buy the cheap of the cheap and stick to well known brands.

    Also if you're not comfortable about replacing a socket or a switch, don't do it and call an electrician.


Advertisement