Light Bulb Blew, Now all power dead

[mullivar]

Situation is I noticed a light bulb in my girlfriends empty apartment was not working. So I open undid the bulb, and it blew when i touched it. I had turned the switch off to that light, but not turned the mains off. Anyway I left it. returned the next day with the correct fitting new bulb. Inserted the bulb, tried the switch and it did not work. Tried some of the other lights in the apartment and they too did not work. But The other lights worked yesterday before the light bulb blew.
I have flicked the switch to the mains, and also the lights switch on the power board, but still no power. No devices in the apartment now have power.
Any ideas What might of happened here?

[Ashore]

1 Earth leakage switch tripped ( though not usually on the light circuit)
2 Blown Fuse or circuit breaker
3 Mains fuse blown ( not likely )
4 Coincidentally all the other globes have blown at the same time :U
5 Blackout in the area
Is it only the lights or all power to the apartment ?
If its only the lights try 3 ie reset circuit breaker or check/replace fuse

[Bedford]

No devices in the apartment now have power.
Any ideas What might of happened here?
Could be a blown service fuse, if someone hasn't pinched it.

[applied]

Have you paid the bill?

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

If all lights are now not working, and the power outlets also not working, somewhere the power to everything has been cut off.

There may be a safety switch supplying all power outlets, but normally one like that would not be protecting the light circuit. There may also be other old style ceramic base fuses which have blown. You would have to pull those out and look closely at the fuse wire.

Incidentally I am puzzled how you could see that a globe failed just at the time when you removed it, if the switch and power were off then. A minor point.

Cheers

[Bedford]

and it blew when i touched it. I had turned the switch off to that light, but not turned the mains off.
Geoff, it seems the power was on, but the light switch was off.....might have been two way switching and Mullivar assumed it was off as one switch would be in the off position, but may have been live from the second switch. Just guessing. :)

[Glot]

Perhaps a loose or broken lampholder and when you replaced the blown bulb you twisted the lampholder and shorted the wires. This would have tripped the circuit breaker or blown the fuse. Although incandesent light bulbs have internal fuses, they dont always work and a bulb blowing can trip a circuit breaker.

[mattski2008]

Perhaps a loose or broken lampholder and when you replaced the blown bulb you twisted the lampholder and shorted the wires. This would have tripped the circuit breaker or blown the fuse. Although incandesent light bulbs have internal fuses, they dont always work and a bulb blowing can trip a circuit breaker.

I've never seen an incandesent bulb with an inbuilt fuse. where do you get them from?. What is the fuse protecting?

[elkangorito]

Most GLS lamps in Australia do not have built-in fuses although some of the wire inside the lamp (not the filament) is deliberately thin so that it will act as a fuse under high current conditions.

When a filament breaks, an arc is formed. Electric arcs cause high currents to be drawn form the supply.

You can see a GLS lamp here:
http://www.lamps-lights-electrical.co.uk/images/GLS%20Lamp.jpg

[NigeC]

Service fuse blown. strange but I have seen a service fuse blow before a main switch trip, and a main switch trip before a circuit breaker trip.

If you have operated the main switch and other circuit breakers/RCD's with no electricity coming back on I don't see what else it could be.

[olfella]

Situation is I noticed a light bulb in my girlfriends empty apartment was not working. So I open undid the bulb, and it blew when i touched it. I had turned the switch off to that light, but not turned the mains off. Anyway I left it. returned the next day with the correct fitting new bulb. Inserted the bulb, tried the switch and it did not work. Tried some of the other lights in the apartment and they too did not work. But The other lights worked yesterday before the light bulb blew.
I have flicked the switch to the mains, and also the lights switch on the power board, but still no power. No devices in the apartment now have power.
Any ideas What might of happened here?
Well Mullivar, who gets the prize for the correct answer?

[mullivar]

Only a little progress. The power bill has been paid , so not that.
Not all power in the block down. Definiatly an issue relating to just the apartment. I didn't turn the power off at the mains when i changed the light bulb. I turned the light on, checked that it did not work then turned it off at the switch. As I loosened the light bulb it blew. I continued to change the bulb and then tried the lights, it was at this point that no power in the apartment as established. I had tested power just 5 minutes before and it was fine.

I think The suggestions are right. But not sure what the service fuse is. I know the main power board which is in the room, but nothing else.

[Ashore]

I would now suggest that as you removed the lamp the fitting twisted causing a short , I would start at the fitting and inspect the wiring there first , perhaps an electrician is needed :rolleyes: