Broken fridge!!!!

[berniedicters]

The fuse obviously hasn't gone in the PC plug, btw - and nothing else has gone off, but the PC hasn't done that before and it is plugged into a surge cube.

Let's discount the surge cube.

Are any other appliances off? If you get a table lamp (or similar), and plug it into the wall where the PC is plugged in, does it go on? Likewise, check with the socket the fridge is plugged in to.

Since you're saying nothing else has gone off, it sounds like one of the circuits in your house - from the sound of it, a socket ring main - has tripped.

Do you know where the consumer unit is in your house? And do you have rewirable fuses or circuit breakers (little switches that flick up)?

I think you're going to find that one of those has tripped, and that your fridge and the computer just happen to be on the same ring.

If it had just happened randomly, I wouldn't be too worried, but on top of this fridge business, I think this needs looking into. I don't know how it works with landlords, but there must be a point where you can go above his head and say (perhaps to the local authority) "I'm worried about the electrics, because xxx keeps happening, and my landlord isn't taking it seriously".

Reset the circuit breaker for now, but I think you need to start making louder noises. My guess is that, for one reason or another, your fridge is drawing more current than it should be, and is somehow just managing to trip the ring on which it's plugged in. That is a guess - without being there and seeing what the setup is, it's a bit impossible to do anything meaningful. But I think your landlord needs to start taking this seriously.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Hello agnes!

Thanks for the reply!

The pc is plugged into a double socket...nothing that was plugged into the other socket went off....and the PC went straight back on again with no trouble (so far...but there was a good couple of hours between it happening earlier and now).

I'll try plugging a lamp into the fridge one now. Should I just leave it on and see what happens?

I've left a message on the answerphone at the landlords so far....

There is just (afaics) one of the big ON/OFF switches on the main electric unit which is still on.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Small desk lamp is now plugged into the fridge socket and switched on.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Is this what you mean?

 

[sheothebudworths]

Do you think a new fridge would be likely to fix the problem then?

 

[berniedicters]

Is this what you mean?

Well, not exactly...I would have expected to see something "after" the big switch there on the left composed of lots of little switches, one for each "circuit", eg lighting, kitchen (cooker), sockets, shower.

But if something else plugged in on the same socket as the PC is still on, it's clearly not that - sounds like a brief interruption to the supply that was enough to switch the PC off, but that's all.

This does all sound a bit mysterious, and your electrical setup per that photo is positively prehistoric! Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but given the fun and games you seem to be having, I can't help wondering what's going on...

I suppose you did get an electrical safety certificate type thing when you rented the place?

 

[berniedicters]

Do you think a new fridge would be likely to fix the problem then?

Um. It may be that the existing fridge is making an ongoing problem more obvious. I think - in an ideal world at least - that your electrics need to be checked over properly by a qualified electrician. Reading the guff, it looks like every appliance should be checked and tagged as checked, as well as a general check of the fixed electrical installation. It may be that just asking your landlord for sight of the last electrical safety test certificate might prompt him to take things a bit more seriously?

ETA: OK, this isn't a legal requirement. but the landlord is very definitely liable for any failures, so it may well be worth your suggesting that he gets a proper test done, especially if there hasn't been one done for a few years.

 

[sheothebudworths]

I'm not altogether sure, tbh.

They do seem to bodge stuff together as far as possible, but at the same time, I THINK they do stay within the regualtions they're supposed to, even if it's only just iykwim...

So the PC was probably unrelated (or maybe that's just about to pack up too! ) and hopefully a new fridge will sort that problem?

 

[sheothebudworths]

Um. It may be that the existing fridge is making an ongoing problem more obvious. I think - in an ideal world at least - that your electrics need to be checked over properly by a qualified electrician. Reading the guff, it looks like every appliance should be checked and tagged as checked, as well as a general check of the fixed electrical installation. It may be that just asking your landlord for sight of the last electrical safety test certificate might prompt him to take things a bit more seriously?

ETA: OK, this isn't a legal requirement. but the landlord is very definitely liable for any failures, so it may well be worth your suggesting that he gets a proper test done, especially if there hasn't been one done for a few years.

They do have a full set of qualified tradesmen employed by them, but it is far more likely that they'll just send Nigel round with a new fridge....but I will definitely ask for further investigation...and like I say, the man I spoke to on Friday did acknowledge that it shouldn't happen, but as usual, it wasn't quite enough of a priority for him to ensure someone came round that day.

Thankyou very, very much once again agnes ...I'll just leave the bloody fridge off now and try and keep it cool as far as possible with frozen bottles of water etc.

 

[berniedicters]

I'll just summarise, thus -

Whether or not it's about a new fridge, the bottom line here is that this shouldn't be your problem, and it's up to Mister Landlord to do whatever is necessary to ensure that you have a working, safe fridge and electrical supply in general. Whatever he has to do to make that happen is for him to decide...but it has to happen!

Good luck, it sounds like he's trying to be helpful, but don't let ineffectual helpfulness be a substitute for Actually Doing Stuff.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Hmmmm....I just tried turning it back on again...and it's working!?!

I wonder if I was just being paranoid?

Well I've left the message anyway, so I'll keep an eye on it in the meantime and let them come round and investigate just incase.

 

[sheothebudworths]

I'll just summarise, thus -

Whether or not it's about a new fridge, the bottom line here is that this shouldn't be your problem, and it's up to Mister Landlord to do whatever is necessary to ensure that you have a working, safe fridge and electrical supply in general. Whatever he has to do to make that happen is for him to decide...but it has to happen!

Good luck, it sounds like he's trying to be helpful, but don't let ineffectual helpfulness be a substitute for Actually Doing Stuff.

Yes, I absolutely take your point and I will chase it up...although as I say, I'm now not sure it'd even gone off in the first place!

I'm in today, so I'll leave it on for now and see what happens.