We had a stormy day a few days ago and the electricity supply dipped a good few times, each for about 2 seconds. It was enough to switch off the telly and reset the clock on the microwave.
Since that 3 lightbulbs in the house have popped. It wasn't at the time of the dips but in the day after. Is it coincidence or could the dips have caused it?
Suzanne
You likely got some spikes too, which are not so obvious, but have a very dramatic life shortening effect on filament lamps.
brownouts dont damage filament bulbs, nor will they create 'surges.'
NT
|Suz wrote: | |> We had a stormy day a few days ago and the electricity supply dipped a good |> few times, each for about 2 seconds. It was enough to switch off the telly |> and reset the clock on the microwave. |>
|> Since that 3 lightbulbs in the house have popped. It wasn't at the time of |> the dips but in the day after. |> Is it coincidence or could the dips have caused it? |>
|> Suzanne | |brownouts dont damage filament bulbs, nor will they create 'surges.'
But brownouts can be followed by overvoltages, or they can occur at about the same time.
Yes.
Round here it was terrible for blowing bulbs( and other electrical equipment) due to very short(
Excess load brownouts don't cause surges, but the storms that cause equipment-failure brownouts also cause surges.
Prescott?
What would be the mechanism of this? If you've got a bad connection, eg a damaged line, when it reconnects its reconnecting to a full load, so I'm not seeing how voltage surges would occur.
NT
What would be the mechanism of this? If you've got a bad connection, eg a damaged line, when it reconnects its reconnecting to a full load, so I'm not seeing how voltage surges would occur.
NT
PS now I get it. those upstream of the break, inductive supply...
NT
If a feeder into a substation (say 11kV/415v) trips on overload and autoswitching to an alternative 11kV feeder is implemented to restore supply, then depending on the transformer tapping at the alternative upstream substation (say from 66kV to nominally 11kV) then higher voltage at the customers premises, sometimes outside the statutory limits, after an overload is a distinct possibility. Only when the higher voltage is measured/noticed some time after the restoration is the transformer tapped to a lower voltage. It might only be an overvoltage for a few seconds with automatic tap changers but much brighter incandescent lights for a few seconds changing in a step manner to normal brightness after an interruption are a big indication. Of course you could have been supplied at circa 220v prior to the interruption and then swing to 250v and notice a similar change, but the right monitoring equipment on the customer premises and all sorts goes on that never gets reported back up the chain.
CE Electric (NEDL/YEDL) are apparently under investigation for irregularities in their supply disruption data, something that won't surprise a number of their customers.
Sounds like a joint - was it a bit torpedo shaped ?
Storm effects are not caused by bad connections, but more usually by momenary shorts (or supply switching). Any short on a 3-phase supply results in a reduction in voltage on one phase, and an increase on the others.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Colin Wilson saying something like:
Like a Camberwell Carrot?
Seven bulbs now replaced - including 2 long life!
Does this mean other things are being damaged too, or is it just light bulbs?
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required