Advice please: lights dimming during use of electric shower

When the electric shower is turned on, the lights in the bedroom and on-suite become 'Dim' this lasts until the shower is turned off ...... any ideas why?

I've had a think and I've come up with two possiblities:

  1. The lights for the bedroom and on-suite have been created from a 'spur' from the shower circuit and when the shower is turned on, it is taking the power from the lights.

  1. Faulty consumer unit (fuse box).

Any comments or other suggestions?

Reply to
Dundonald
Loading thread data ...

By the way this *really is* a mate's house not my own and I haven't seen the circuitry.

Reply to
Dundonald

You may just have a relatively high impedence electricity supply.

It is unlikely that a faulty consumer unit could cause this, although your first suggestion of taking a lighting spur off the shower circuit would definitely have this effect.

Replacing your bulbs with CFLs could help markedly, as they are less sensitive to supply voltage variation.

Just how dim do they get?

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Not significantly, only from his description, but I'd imagine 10% ish.

Reply to
Dundonald

What is his physical setting? Urban, suburban, rural? Overhead supply, or buried? Any idea on where the local substation is? Do neighbours complain?

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

It can be quite normal

formatting link
check that nothing near the main fuse, meter and consumer unit is getting hot. Any fishy smells?

Reply to
Andy Wade

Working in a mate's house in Basingstoke - estate built in the '70s, PME connection - the lights dimmed when my 500 watt tile cutter started up...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

High impedance supply, from e.g. a long cable from the local substation, or a grotty old transformer-on-a-pole like I used to have. Whole house dimmed when the microwave went on.

If its localised though, chances are the high impedance is local too.

Trace the circuits and see.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

formatting link
but check that nothing near the main fuse, meter and consumer unit is

However, if it's suddenly started doing this not having done so before, I would be really concerned as it would imply a bad connection.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.