Three spires

Have been into Coventry twice today. At each end of the day.

First thing to collect Jonathan's laptop after being repaired and to collect Jamie for a few hours. Then again this evening to take Jamie back. It was just going dark so I took a quick stroll up to the cathedral area. Despite what it looks like here, the lighting around the cathedrals is somewhat underwhelming. Very dark and uninspiring. A big let down. Much better lighting around the bus station.

This afternoon was taken up mostly be trying to work out what was wrong with one of the two main lights in the kitchen. The track with three lights wasn't working. It stopped one morning in the week. Now, this is where assumption is the consequence of logic. All three lights were not working. So, it must bet the switch that's faulty. The two tracks are on a pair of dual two way switches, one side of which is a pair of dimmers.

So, logic cuts in and says its likely to be the dimmer for the affected lights that's given up the ghost. Now, because the lights were installed ten years ago, the electrician that did them had put in some nice non-standard wiring solution. My first inspection (done in hast I might add) caused me to conclude that the wiring was the wrong way around for the this dimmer switch to operate correctly, so, it reinforced my conclusion that the switch had failed.

So, we spent most of the week in the dark.

Today, having replaced the batteries in my meter (they always die when you need them), I pulled the switches both sides and traced out the wiring and switch connections. I then replaced the assumed faulty switch with a standard dual two way switch, and, hey presto, nothing! No change. SNAFU. Darkeness!

Humph. Well the breaker didn't trip, so it wasn't a wiring fault. Onto the light itself. Testing the light showed there was 230V on the incoming circuit. How odd.

So, now the most unlikely cause was tested. It transpired that all three lights had blown simultaneously! Wow. Never have I known that. What's the odds? One of the bulbs was only replaced a few weeks ago.

In the end, a day of education. Having relearnt the maxim, expect the unexpected, I won't next time spend hours diagnosing blown bulbs! Bulbs now changed and original dimmers reinstated. In true ACDC fashion - Let there be rock light! And there was rock light!