The Lemon Fool

This has puzzled me for a long time, and I've never been able to find an answer. If my kitchen lights are on I've noticed that when I turn the tap on the lights become slightly brighter.

I can think of no reason at all why this should happen, so if any Fools can provide an explanation it would be most welcome.

That sounds somewhat disturbing...csearle may be along in a minute and may suggest getting it checked out, unless it's some weird psychological effect?
Are we talking the cold tap here? If not,how is your hot water heated (gas boiler/immersion etc)?

Any water or just hot?
What sort of hot water system do you have?
What sorts of lights? Mains or 12V?
CFLs? LEDs?
Any other relevant evidence?

Julian F. G. W.

I've never noticed whether it's the hot or cold tap or both, but I'll check and report back.

Clitheroekid wrote:
If my kitchen lights are on I've noticed that when I turn the tap on the lights become slightly brighter...

<joke>Wouldn't an increase in current be expected to brighten the lights?</joke>

I'm here all week....

Itsallaguess

Itsallaguess wrote:

Clitheroekid wrote:
If my kitchen lights are on I've noticed that when I turn the tap on the lights become slightly brighter...

<joke>Wouldn't an increase in current be expected to brighten the lights?</joke>

I'm here all week....

Itsallaguess

I think this thread needs moving to the polite discussions board please. I think you've completely gone off topic as you've started talking about an alternating current.

.... Well you started it

AiY [Goat herder without staff]

The only thing I can think of which might be relevant is that there's probably an earth strap on the cold water pipe and running the water improves the earth. In which case get it checked, but this only thinking aloud.

I was thinking along the lines of some bizarre, and probably dangerous, earthing issue- or physical movement of the pipes affecting a connection somewhere

AleisterCrowley wrote:That sounds somewhat disturbing...csearle may be along in a minute and may suggest getting it checked out, unless it's some weird psychological effect?
Are we talking the cold tap here? If not,how is your hot water heated (gas boiler/immersion etc)?

My experience has been that however weird the symptoms seem, as described by the customer, the eventual fault almost always bears the customer out.

I think that Julian is probably approaching this in the best way, suspecting probably that it is the hot water that is causing this and that the effect of turning the tap on is causing a sequence of events leading to the brightening of the lights.

Interesting case.

C.

Clitheroekid wrote:This has puzzled me for a long time, and I've never been able to find an answer. If my kitchen lights are on I've noticed that when I turn the tap on the lights become slightly brighter.

I can think of no reason at all why this should happen, so if any Fools can provide an explanation it would be most welcome.

Is this a repeatable outcome? Or, is it intermittent.

Is there a time lag between the water on and the lights getting brighter?

C.

Do they stay brighter, or is it a temporary surge

I gotta know...

We really do need more evidence.

I was thinking along the lines of a combi boiler cutting in and somehow affecting a (so-called) electronic transformer feeding 12V downlights. Either that or you have gas lights that run off North Sea gas and the extra flow of water increases the gas pressure.

Julian F. G. W.

Might i suggest that the OP may be mistaken and is merely imagining the change in brightness. After all there are people who swear they've seen a ghost, a UFO or indeed even flying pigs.......and they aren't all drunk. I'm assured m'Lud that the mind can play the most amazing tricks.

I've seen a ghostly pig flying a UFO. I blame the Holden's Old Ale.

Clitheroekid wrote:I've never noticed whether it's the hot or cold tap or both, but I'll check and report back.

Anything to report yet?

Some suggestions:

Vibration of pipe caused by flowing water affects a loose earth strap or has an effect on other wires (possibly faulty) near pipes

Hot water in pipe causes expansion affecting earth strap or other wiring as above

Cold water flowing through pipe causes contraction affecting earth or other wires as above

Hot tap fires up combi the operation of which has some feedback effect through the mains

Why any of those would make the lights brighter I know not.

Alternatively it’s an optical illusion that is happening when the brain is processing the noise from the tap. Do other people notice the effect, or could you video it and play it back without the noise and still see the brightening?

Bh

bionichamster wrote:

Clitheroekid wrote:I've never noticed whether it's the hot or cold tap or both, but I'll check and report back.

Alternatively it’s an optical illusion that is happening when the brain is processing the noise from the tap. Do other people notice the effect, or could you video it and play it back without the noise and still see the brightening?

Bh

As Aleister said,
I've seen a ghostly pig flying a UFO. I blame the Holden's Old Ale.

Alcohol destroying brain cells. When noise from taps requires messages to go to the brain via the auditory nerve, the poor suffering brain can't cope and shuts down nerves from the ocular nerves, thus explaining the loss in brightness.

Treatment is to switch from Old Ale to lager, have time off work, plenty of massages and stop reading the Daily Mail.

Steve

jfgw wrote:I was thinking along the lines of a combi boiler cutting in and somehow affecting a (so-called) electronic transformer feeding 12V downlights. Either that or you have gas lights that run off North Sea gas and the extra flow of water increases the gas pressure

I was thinking on the same lines. If you have a combi boiler AND your central heating is on AND if you turn a hot tap on THEN the boiler's diverter valve will direct the flow to the tap and flow through the heating system is temporarily stopped. If you have many radiators (which if you have a combi you shouldn't have!) the load on the pump suddenly diminishes.
But I would be surprised if the result were noticeable - and is easy to verify anyway: just turn off the central heating and turn on the hot tap.

Clitheroekid wrote:
I've never noticed whether it's the hot or cold tap or both, but I'll check and report back.

As well as the above information CK, can you please also tell us where the boiler is located?

Also, if you turn your local lighting circuit off, for whichever floor the boiler is on, does the boiler power go off as well?

The reason I'm asking is that it may be relevant here if the power to the boiler is being supplied from the local lighting circuit, and if the boiler is in a bathroom then there's a relatively good chance that this might be the case, so the above details would be interesting with regards to this particular issue, I think...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Was this ever resolved ?!

AleisterCrowley wrote:
Was this ever resolved ?!

I think we might agree that CK has been a little hot and cold on the subject...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess