Phew

[karohemd]

I just had a bit of an electrical emergency. I switched on the main light in my room when it went fizz and bang and everything was dark. I felt my way to the fusebox and switched back the circuit breaker that had been released. Still everything dark (TV, PC etc. were also dead). Found a torch and checked, all circuit breakers were back in position. The house light still worked so I checked the fusebox in the understairs cupboard and sure enough, the circuit breaker for my flat was down. Flipped it back up and everything was back to normal. Good thing that my landlord completely updated the electrical wiring and fuseboxes when he refurbished the house so I didn't have to deal with old style fuses.

I guess I won't be using any of the other spare lightbulbs my landlord provided because it was one of those that caused the whole problem. Time to put in energy efficient ones, anyway.

Comments

[corone.livejournal.com]

Sounds more like a fault going to earth than an overload problem.
I'd check that the bit that went fizz doesn't have a crossed wire.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

*nods*
That lamp has been a bit wonky for a while and the last bulb didn't last very long. I'll have a look during daytime at one point so I can switch everything off. I'm always a bit scared when it comes to electrical things.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Is the end of the lightbulb still in the fitting?

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

No, it didn't explode, it just blew the filament in a zap as I switched on the light. A good thing, too, because it would have been directly over my bed...

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Good good. (That it didn't explode, not that it would have showered your bed in glass!)

[chrisvenus]

so I didn't have to deal with old style fuses

My experience is that trip switches tend to flip a hell of a lot more often than a fuse will blow. I've never known a main fuse to blow when a light goes. My current house I've had to reset the trips at least three times in the last nine months due to a bulb going. Its a reason I actually don't like trip switches much.

[belak-krin.livejournal.com]

its kind of the idea :) Trips go before the fuse gets anywhere near to blowing. I wouldn't worry about it too much Oz - happened in our house a couple of times, trips are meant to do it. If it was a normal fuse it probably wouldn't even have noticed.