Whirlpool

Hi,

I just wanted to know if the problems i have been getting with my internet with slow speeds and what not are related to something that has always been in my house.

We have a problem where our lightbulbs would just pop and burst for no reason. We are constantly getting new ones and we called a sparky over but they couldn't figure out the problem. We even buy proper lightbulbs that are expensive but just spontainously combust for no reason -_-

So does bad electrical wiring in my house have an impact with my internet like slow speeds, dropouts and highpings?

Could it be that the faulty wiring be causing "too much noise" on my DSL line?

Thanks any help would be appreciated.

Mesmus writes...

We have a problem where our lightbulbs would just pop and burst for no reason.

I'm sure thats entertaining!

So does bad electrical wiring in my house have an impact with my internet like slow speeds, dropouts and highpings?

Shouldn't do, you would think.
As long as your phone and data cabling is up to scratch.

I'd get a sparkie and cabler out, the sparkie atleast the see WTF is wrong with your lights and a cabler to check out your cabling and give you a yay or nay verdict.

Sounds like over-voltage. Unlikely to make much difference to your internet connectivity, but can be a little rough on the appliances.

We had a similar problem at a previous house where globes would be lucky to last more than 3 months. In the end, I stuck a multimeter into the powerpoint (please, only do this if you're really sure you know what your doing) and found our voltage sitting at 265V.

We rang the power company who conceeded that it was a little high and sent someone out to tweak the transformer which brought it down to a more sensible 240V.

The problem is that someone else at the end of the line probably ended up with less than 230V, so it's hard to keep everyone happy.

Mesmus writes...

We even buy proper lightbulbs
so what were you using before you bought proper lightbulbs?...candles?

So does bad electrical wiring in my house have an impact with my internet
It can but it's unlikely. I've heard of instances (mentioned somewhere in a recent thread) where bad 240v active terminations cause arcing and generate rf noise that affects electronic equipment and create voltage varitions. But it's a long shot and maybe hard to find!

spontainously combust for no reason
like a wet haystack on a sunny day huh?

Hi Mesmus,

Are you at or near the end of the power lines feeding your area?

I'd imagine he's close to the pole top / pad/ what ever in his area for lightbulbs to pop, it takes a good bit of overvoltage to do that.

I was at and older house some time ago now, the resident reckoned his lights would start to flicker and do silly things at about 430pm most days, and sort of come good around 1030pm ish if he was still awake to see it.
For the most part the rest fo the day was uninterupted.
So, as part of fault finding and a general upgrade of things as requested we upgraded the copper in the place, it was old vir...

Problem persisted, so we upgraded the board ( we were going to do this as a matter of course, but wanted to rule out just the cable first )

Problem persisted, so on went a new meter.

Problem still there...

Any ways, we handballs the job to the supply authority as the house is now up to spec and we feel it might be a supply issue...

Turns out, roughly every 3rd house had the same problem!
The root cause was a buggered coil on the transformer up the street, and everybody who was on that phase or had 3 phase had a similar problem.
I've heard of a similar thing on here somewhere else. There must have been a bodgy batch of trannys in use at somestage where 1 coil would cook before the rest or something.

Any way, very OT, but my point is i guess, ask your neghbour what his power is like, and get a sparkie in.

Mesmus writes...

Thanks any help would be appreciated.

Justa thought?

If thine ADSL cables lieth parallel to ye mains wiring ye may have some form of electrickery induced transformer action?

Normally, this beith mains-to-ADSL, yet, perhaps it beith 'tother? ADSL beith much faster than mains, ergo, ye faster movement of ye electrons induceth overload into thy bulbs of light?

Doth this happen only whence ye bulbs be switcheth on? If so, it beith ye 'surge.' Ye incandescent bulb thingoes hath some times-ten wanting of ye electrickery on switchon, ergo, they 'go poppeth?'

If not at ye switchon, may one suggesteth ye engage all devices sucking ye electrickery, such as,; aircons; fires; anything that beith,'consuming much mains power' and the seeith if ye bulbs pop?

Should this solve thy popping problem, thy mains voltage beith mucho high and telleth ye supplier such.

be else, switcheth off thy ADSL and should ye popping cease getteth one of these and asketh for ye solution, nay?

:+++>

~~Adam writes...

Hi Mesmus,

Are you at or near the end of the power lines feeding your area?

Do you mean those power poles that goes through the street?I guess so or do you mean a main power station or something?

Ill talk to my neighbours on the street and see what they say and if they dont help ill call over someone to have a look at my power wires. I get a strange feeling that this is causing problems with my internet AND the sudden popping of light bulbs -_-

Thanks for the help guys.

If you were using 100W light bulbs, they loosen the springs on the light fitting because of excess heat. This causes arcing which causes light bulbs to overheat and pop.
Easiest fix for popping bulbs is replace with CFL. No current=no arcing=no heat=long life.
Said arcing might be induced on your phone/adsl. Maybe.
If the house is old enough to have crappy lampholders the rest of the wiring is prolly crappy too, including your phone wiring.
Which comes back to getting a proper sparkie (one with a bit of nous) in to check things out.

hippiesparx writes...

No current=no arcing=no heat=long life.

WTF
No current = turned off.
No heat = turned off

Which comes back to getting a proper sparkie (one with a bit of nous) in to check things out.

+1

Adrian

hippiesparx writes...

If you were using 100W light bulbs, they loosen the springs on the light fitting because of excess heat. This causes arcing which causes light bulbs to overheat and pop.

Easiest fix for popping bulbs is replace with CFL. No current=no arcing=no heat=long life.

Said arcing might be induced on your phone/adsl. Maybe.

If the house is old enough to have crappy lampholders the rest of the wiring is prolly crappy too, including your phone wiring.

Which comes back to getting a proper sparkie (one with a bit of nous) in to check things out.

I have used different Watts of lightbulbs from about 50 to 100 and including those CFL ones before. Same results, some burst in a day or some take a week to a month. So is the problem too much overload of power or very bad wiring?

Mesmus writes...

I have used different Watts of lightbulbs from about 50 to 100 and including those CFL ones before...some burst in a day or some take a week
try a different $2 shop?

Therapy writes...

it was old vir..

ergh.. dont the ants just love to it eat it.. hate replacing it.. the rubber has usually turned mucky..

The root cause was a buggered coil on the transformer

very interesting... im surprised the supply authority admitted to such a fault. were the customers able to claim any compensation?

Get a sparkie to have a look for anything internal.

Having any other power problems ?

Also get him to check for voltages on the neutral to the earth stake. I've seen in some cases crook service neutral connections causing what you describe. But normally there is other problems as well (like getting shocks off things).

Then what i suspect will happen is you will be told to contact your local power company, explain the problem and they will send out a crew to install a set of data loggers on the pole outside your house.

You will be asked to record when things go funny with the lights/power. In about 2 weeks they will take your notes and the data recorded off the mains and work out if there is anything funky on the supply end.

If this has started recently, also they will look at recent work done in the area, a hunch is the transformer feeding your lv area has recently been uprated and the tap setting is a tad too high or the 11kv has been boosted a tad too much depending what hardware is on the feeder.

Therapy writes...

about 430pm most days, and sort of come good around 1030pm ish if he was still awake to see it.
For the most part the rest of the day was uninterrupted.

Ahh yep, the fun type of faults that only shows up under load conditions.

hippiesparx writes...

getting a proper sparkie (one with a bit of nous)
sheesh!...that's a tough call?

Just great... because i didnt bother with this problem my modem got fried.

:(

friend of mine had it happen to him a couple of times. so i just changed the batten holder so far so good, its been a few months now...

Mesmus writes...

Just great... because i didnt bother with this problem my modem got fried.

:(

What happened to it ?

You sure it's not just a coincidence ?

dmaher writes...

What happened to it ?

You sure it's not just a coincidence ?

No im pretty sure its not coincidence. There is no other reason for it to fry unless its a wiring problem. Lucky i got back up modems though but that one cost quite a bit.