A question for any electricians in the house!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

OK, so this is going to be a weird, stupid question, but to be honest, it's absolutely freaking me out! So much so that it's taken since yesterday evening before I can even get my head round thinking about it!

I have a multiroom audio system at home, the control panels/processors and the music source are connected together by an Ethernet switch, that sits up in the loft. Most evenings while cooking, washing up etc, I'll either listen to internet radio, in the kitchen, or just use Airplay from my iPad to stream something off the iplayer on my iPad, to the kitchens music system.

To do any of those things needs the network connection to the devices. I last used it Sunday evening.

Tuesday, approx 8am, we had a thirty minute power cut due to engineering works damaging something locally. So when I came to airplay something Ztuesday evening, it didn't totally surprise me that I couldn't "see" the kitchen amp. Normally, a reboot would see it acquire a network address and all would be fine. But this time, nothing. I also noticed the kitchen control panel wasn't receiving it's normal weather widget data. Didn't have time to look further into it then, so left it.

Yesterday evening, I got the ladders out and went up into the loft, assuming the power cut had either taken out the network switch, or (hopefully) just locked it up, and restart would bring it back on line.

Except.....

The single gang electrical socket that the switch is plugged into is turned off! (Just a regular switched outlet, nothing fancy). Turn the sockets switch on, the network powers up, and everything works normally again.

But how in the hell does an electrical outlet in the loft get switched off? I'm the only one in the house, no one else knows the socket is up there.

But I haven't a clue how the switch can be turned off, without someone physically doing it. It's not like they're a very light touch switch either, on standard sockets.

As I say, freaking me out that someone has got in and been tampering with stuff. But there's no other evidence. Should add, the alarm has a box next to the socket, but isn't powered from it, and was not affected, (other than needing the fault code clearing after the power cut.)

 

[CraigHew]

Mice (or worse) ?

[Steve (sdh2903)]

35 minutes ago, CraigHew said:

Mice (or worse) ?

Was my first thought but would be a big coincidence to happen at same time as the power cut!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Have had a problem with a squirrel, well probably a couple, earlier in the year, but not heard any evidence of them being back for a while. A chewed wire I could have understood, the switched socket is mounted on its back, so it would be possible for a squirrel to stand on the switch. But do they weigh enough to flip the switch? (And if they do, I'm not sure if i want to meet one in a dark loft!!)

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

31 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

Have had a problem with a squirrel, well probably a couple, earlier in the year, but not heard any evidence of them being back for a while. A chewed wire I could have understood, the switched socket is mounted on its back, so it would be possible for a squirrel to stand on the switch. But do they weigh enough to flip the switch? (And if they do, I'm not sure if i want to meet one in a dark loft!!)

How Bizarre! Given the normally stiff positive action required to flick such a switch, I'd suggest it would have to be a salad dodging squirrel with Hob Nail boots on!

I guess there's no way you've accidentally knocked it off moving items in the loft?

I've had a socket switch fail electrically that was feeding the tumble drier but that was still physically showing as been on. It just wasn't letting the juice through it! I'd doubt your socket is carrying much current at all, hence unlikely to be burn't out!

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

As far as I'm aware, no one has been in the loft between it working and not working. Likewise, I struggle to believe even the most rabid party squirrel Irish dancing on top of the switch, while carrying his whole family on his shoulders, in a display of supreme gymnastic ability, could have tripped the switch.

And there's no way the cat could get up there. you need ladders to even get to the loft hatch, which is the lift out panel type. As for access from the outside, I keep sealing up holes big enough for the damn squirrel to get in, so can't believe anything larger could have got in there!

[Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer]

22 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

I struggle to believe even the most rabid party squirrel Irish dancing on top of the switch, while carrying his whole family on his shoulders, in a display of supreme gymnastic ability

I nominate for the most entertaining quote I've  read this year. 

[Dommo]

Sir, what you had there was what we refer to as a Focused, Non-Terminal, Repeating Phantasm, or a Class 5 Full-Roaming Vapor... a real nasty one too...

Failing that what kind of temperature swings are in the loft, just in case it's mechanical rather than ghosties? Or an air pressure change with the weather finishing the job off? Assuming it had been balanced for a while rather than firmly on.

[Thrustyjust]

Worst 'I have upgraded from a Chrystal radio' thread everrrrrr

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

1 hour ago, Dommo said:

Sir, what you had there was what we refer to as a Focused, Non-Terminal, Repeating Phantasm, or a Class 5 Full-Roaming Vapor... a real nasty one too...

Failing that what kind of temperature swings are in the loft, just in case it's mechanical rather than ghosties? Or an air pressure change with the weather finishing the job off? Assuming it had been balanced for a while rather than firmly on.

Ooh, never even thought of that! First really frosty night we’ve had. There’s lots of loft insulation too, so the electrical switch certainly sees a good temperature swing.

[Nick Mace]

Environmentally friendly poltergeists who go round switching lights off when not being used could be the answer to global warming.  I could certainly do with one in my house...

[BugMan]

Can't say I've ever come across this before but is their any chance thier could be damp in the loft?

If moisture had somehow infiltrated the switch, and then there was a surge it might cause an arc, which blew the switch over - It's a real stretch, but given the other alternatives such as wildlife and ghosts....

 

[TAFKARM]

Sleep walking obviously.

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

Dave's squirrel: 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

5 minutes ago, BugMan said:

Can't say I've ever come across this before but is their any chance thier could be damp in the loft?

If moisture had somehow infiltrated the switch, and then there was a surge it might cause an arc, which blew the switch over - It's a real stretch, but given the other alternatives such as wildlife and ghosts....

 

It’s not overly damp up there, but the weather was cold and slightly damp, and there are air grills on both long sides of the roof to allow air to circulate, so damp cold air outside, means (eventually), damp cold air inside the loft space.

The main reason I’m concerned, is that for sales purposes, the estate agents had access to a key and entry code for a significant period of time. So while there is no evidence of anyone coming in, it is possible, on paper at least, for someone to have duplicated a key.

- I should add, I consider disco squirrel more likely than the estate agent at this point. Plus you need ladders to get up to the hatch, and there are none in the house, only behind locked doors outside.