Voltage drop? Lights and sockets went at once

[robpt]

Hi All,

I hope someone can help me to understand what is going on in my house (I've ruled out Poltergeist).

I have four 240V GU10 spots in my bathroom, I have replaced the halogen bulbs with CFL as I was sick of having to go in the loft to replace them.

The other day one of them went, and I was going to change it, but the next time I switched the lights on, there it was - working again. Then this morning, we were standing on the landing and the bathroom lights swithced themselves off, then immediately on again. What was funny was that exactly the same time, one of my neighbours' burglar alarms went off. Made me think maybe there had been a demand surge or something.

But then my wife sends me a text saying that when she was in the bath, the lights dipped off again ((just once) and at exactly the same time the stereo she was listening to (plugged into a socket on a different breaker) did the same thing. No other lights have done it- it was just the bathroom - even though all the upstairs lights are on one circuit.

We've not had any other issues, the house is about 7 years old.

Thanks for your time.

Should I be worried or is it likely that this was an external supply issue?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Poor joint / Loose connection at the fusebox, or external is a possibility?

Welcome

Guinness

 

[ProDave]

For it to affect another house it must be a dip in the supply.

If your wife was in the bath, how does she KNOW none of the other lights dipped? if the lights and socket power dipped, it again sounds to me like a momentary supply interruption.

As for the bathroom lights, dodgy connection to one lamp or a dodgy holder. Why do you have to go into the loft to change the bulbs, you should be able to change them from within the bathroom, otherwise how would they work in a downstairs bathroom? you wouldn't expect to go and lift floorboards in the room above to change a lamp would you?

 

[steptoe]

Most probably a supply issue and the cfls are showing it up as the take a moment to strike.