Moment of terror

ok - turned on a lamp in the lounge - some fancy SWMBO purchase with 6 bulbs - 4 of the buggers blow big stylee. WOW. Then i realise that the music has stopped in the next room - oh dear. Its tripped a main fuse, and the wall sockets supplying the music maker have been hit in the disaster.

Anyways, gently powered everything back up - no problems - spun some music on all sources and everything is fine. However i just want to check with you experienced fellas. Could there be any damage anywhere, depsite the fact that it all appears to be working? E.g. isolation transformer, mains board, amp etc etc. Just want to sleep soundly knowing everything is actually ok - i think it is - as its not a surge or anything, just a power cut - just want the full thumbs up, i hope.

I've now dismembered the offending lamp, to the displeasure of the good lady - it will have to be sorted somehow to prevent this happening again. Any ideas? It has blown bulbs before - but not in such dramatic fashion, and seems to be a repeat offender.


ERADICATE MY DOUBTS!!

this is cookie of ZG reporting from the field, inhaling gently on a cigarette, but with a slight nervous twitch, in anticipation of the editors verdict.


:MILD:

 

There shouldn't be any damage unless a surge or spike went through the mains.

The lamp is probably leaking current through the earth connection, and tripping an RCD (since you live in modern accomodation). The leakage current only need be 30mA for that to happen.

 

cheers - it's all surge/spike protected anyway via the mains board i use.

Any solutions for isolating that lamp - ither than chucking it in the skip.

Also, i forgot, i was 1min 33sec away from the end of a n auction on e-bay, which i had followed for days. The computer was knocked out too . In the panic to rescue the hifi rig first i completely forgot. Anyway it transpires that i won - bargain price too - ironic really - usually when i follow them to the end 'live' i get snipped in the last second.

Any more reassuring posts would be welcome

cheers

Got salif keita pumping out - all seems well - is a mains board damaged when it has been subject to a surge/spike just out of curiosity - a bit like a crash helmet - looks okay, but in fact should be replaced?

 

So what did you buy? Was it the tape deck you've been chasing? Was amazed the other day when I managed to win something on Ebay, must be the first time in months I've won anything worth more than £30

 

dont worry about a ting cuse every litt, o yea was light pluged into a socket or wired into the celling,wot size fuse was in the plug?
hippys daft idea-lamp comes to end of life and shorts neutral to live when filament collapses,a large current flows very briefly causing the mcb to blow,the breif overcurrent is to much for the weakest lamps so they decide to give up turning on from cold is the time most damage is caused

 

Was indeed a tape deck Lord. i'll divulge at a later date, once i have had a chance to play - its nice. Well chuffed am i. First time i have won something substantial too in a long time - in strange circumstances too.

Well done on your amp purchase. Have fun tinkering.


MH - forgive me for saying, but have you been on the lash mate - your post is a tad indecipherable - maybe it is me - i think i get the gist though - everthing is hunkey dorey then. It was turned on from cold - seems to be when they go - it took the RCD out (thanks Isaac) and half the house with it. Isaac has suggested i get a wall socket RCD for the lamp to prevent it happening again. Seems wise

cheers guys

 

I think i have found the right thing @ Maplins - an RCD adaptor (QS21X) for a tenner. Hopefully will isolate the mischievous lamp, and i will sleep a bit easier. The lamp was actually brought over from Cyprus - it's a two pin plugged into a 3pin adaptor. Don't know if this has compicated matters?

 

check the rcd in your consumer unit and see what milliamp rate it has, try and buy one with a lower rate. that should make sure it trips the plugtop rcd before the main one

hth

 

sorry if my earlier reply condused ya,been sampling my harvest :MILD:
im suprised an rcd tripped on a blowen lamp.mcb yes but rcdan rcd monitors the current flowing in both the neutral and live,it will olny trip when theres an imbalance between the current flowing out of the device and the current flowing into the unit,
what i thinks happened is when youve turned the lamp on ,one lamp blows,the coil of wire inside the lamp collapses and shorts neutral and live out causing a very high current to flow for a brief period of time,this current is large enough to blow the mcd AND any other protective devices between the mcb and the fault.however because the mcb works so fast it turns off the power before more damage can be done and before the plug fuse has time to think about blowing, mcb's should trip out within 0.4 seconds of a fault occuring,plug fuses within 5 secondsits .possible this caused a voltage spike but olny a very brief one,this voltage spike may also explain why another 3 lamps blew,then again the 4 lamps could have decided enough was enough and all blowen at the same time,that would have caused a fairly impresive overload current
o and cut that 2 pin plug off fit a decent 13A plug with a 3A fuse.what sort of lamps does it take? if there a screw cap then make certain the threaded metal bit the lamp screws into is conected to neutral and not live:
hope thats a bit clearer

 

Thanks MH - a lot clearer and helpful even to a non techie wizard like the cookie.

Can you believe this stupid lamp (floorstanding) cost over £100 - only just found that one out . Anyway, i'm leaving it unplugged till i have time, maybe at the weekend to make it safe I'll change the plug then as you suggest and check all is hooked up fine. The bulbs are screw type. I think i might still get that rcd plug socket though, just to be safe. This lamp uses 6 bulbs and has scared me a bit now. Amazing how all those bulbs went like a chain reaction. Thanks for the explanation. It made an impressive bang:JPS: . Thanks for the responses.