Flat problems

[slycat]

This morning, the bulb in my bathroom blew. Fortunately there was a replacement in my cupboard of bits and pieces. However I figured I might as well get another bulb so I've still got a spare. So I got myself an energy saving equivalent of the bulb while I was out today. I got home and fitted it, turned on the light and *bang!* out went all the lights. I figured that the lighting breaker must have gone as everything else is still on and so I go to find the breaker box.

In where my meter is, there's no breakers and in fact in the year I've lived at the flat, I've never known where my breakers were. I figured it might be something in the meter box but I didn't know what I was looking at so I recruited the assistance of my Dad. He confirmed there weren't any breakers or anything that could be accessed in the meter box so there must be a separate place for them. After almost giving up and also asking a neighbour where their box was, we finally found it next to the oven behind a set of drawers... not somewhere I would have looked normally.

Anyway having finally finding the box, it turns out it's a fuse box which I've not dealt with before. Inside the fuse box was fuses but it wasn't obvious which was faulty nor how to even remove them. Not that I had a replacement even if I could remove it. So, not having lights isn't considered an emergency so I will have to wait until tomorrow until I can get an electrician out to fix the damn thing. Maybe I can convince my landlord to fit a breaker box rather than an ancient fuse box... but I doubt they'll pay for that if they can just pay for a fuse. As I'm not fond of bathing in pitch blackness, I think I'll need to wait for the electrician before having a bath. Just as well I'm off work tomorrow!

Comments

[puddy-tat-uk.livejournal.com]

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-change-a-fuse-in-a-traditional-fuse-box

may help.

you can get fuse wire at wilkinsons or DIY places.

my circuit breaker usually goes when a bulb goes, which is mildly annoying, but a fuse going immediately you switch on is mildly worrying and suggests there may be a fault in the circuit somewhere.

good job us felines can see in the dark...

=( '.' )=

[slycat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion but as I live in rented accommodation, I'd rather it be done by a professional :)

[puddy-tat-uk.livejournal.com]

*smiles quietly*

at least that way if something goes bang, it's not your fault!

=( '.' )=

[slycat.livejournal.com]

Only if you visited at night of course. Anyway, I expect to have this sorted tomorrow.

[bariki.livejournal.com]

We used to have a *really* old fuse box downstairs until it was forcibly replaced when we had the bathroom electrics redone last year. Now my individual breakers for each floor are gone and in their place is a tamper-proof box that costs £100 every time a sodding 13A fuse blows.

I hate electricians.

[super-jay.livejournal.com]

In our townhouse, we forced the landlord to bring over an electrician when the clothes dryer stopped working. It was the breaking point for an ongoing case with the city inspector to have him repair other problems that were lagging for months(A/C not working, leaking toilet, no window screens, etc.)

Turned out the fuse for the dryer was tied into lighting which is against code. There were signs of arcs burned into the fuse box from being too much draw. Also the household fuses were all 25A and 30A instead of 15A, the electrician demanded they be replaced, being fire hazards. (I'm talking about the little round glass fuses with the screw-in bases)

Isn't renting fun :P