Home circuit fault feeding back into speakers?

[stef332]

Hi,

I live in a flat where all the wall plugs (about 10 x double wall plugs) are connected to the same fuse. The heaviest thing connected are a fridge and a washing machine, then i have a printer, a couple of laptops, 5 x LED lights, 2 dehumidifiers (240W, 1.2A) and my beloved Mackie CR5BT Monitor Speakers which I use via bluetooth.
Recently, the fuse started tripping, apparently at random. I have gradually disconnected everything and tried all sorts of different combinations but the tripping happens apparently independently of what is plugged in and in particular at night. Really weird. Anyway, as we have established that none of the appliances are causing the problem and with the wiring being inside the walls /below the floors, my landlord is now replacing all the wiring to the wall plugs.

Anyway, the problem I'd like to post here is regarding my speakers. after a few days of the fuse tripping (about 3 times/day and throughout the night to the point that i just left it off during the night), one day I turned my speakers on and they started making a bass sound which didn't sound very healthy. Nothing was connected to the speakers except from the power. See brief video attached. I turned the speakers on and off a few times, then the sound stopped and speakers seemed to work well. However, after about 30 min of use via bluetooth, they stopped working. Then the fuse tripped again and they did the bass sound again when i turned them back on. I have since unplugged them until my landlord replaces all the wires.

My questions are:

Has anyone seen anything like that and what does it mean? Can I assume that my landlord should be accountable for the broken speakers due to the fault in the circuit (which we still don't know what it is but we assume it's a fault with a wire somewhere). Could the speakers possibly be fixed otherwise?

I am new to this forum and only have a very basic understanding of electronics but this is something I have never heard of and could not find anything similar online either.

Please help!

Thanks in advance,

Stef

 

[kellys_eye]

It won't be the mains wiring that messed with your speakers.

Most probable is that your fridge is the cause of random tripping.

I have gradually disconnected everything

including the fridge? Most people can't do this due to the sensitive contents! And the washing machine.... if it has an internal water heater (most do) then this could equally be the cause. What about 'loose' wiring - have all the sockets been checked for secure terminals?

Getting the landlord to change all the wiring is a bit excessive imho and totally unnecessary....... and as for making him/her responsible for the speaker 'damage' - not a chance.

I turned the speakers on and off a few times, then the sound stopped and speakers seemed to work well.

...basically eliminates the 'wiring' as the cause - the speakers either work or they don't. It may be that your speakers ARE the cause of the constant tripping - power supply faults within them could be doing it..... iin which case YOU would be liable for getting the landlord to replace the wiring for no good reason.

 

[stef332]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

Yes, fridge has been disconnected as well (my landlord was going to get a new one if that proved to be the fault) but it tripped all the same. Same again, with speakers unplugged, still tripped. as I said, have tried every possible combination by unplugging everything little by little. During the night, when it trips the most, there was nothing but 2 phone chargers (even removed the fridge, to test) and it still tripped.

All sockets have been opened and checked for burnt/loose wires but no luck either.

It wasn't my idea to rewire everything but my landlord's as the alternative would be to check wires under the floor and in the walls. The root cause of the problem is still a mystery. Thing is, speakers were working fine before all this happened! And the damage to the speakers is also very peculiar, don't you think? as you said, I would also expect to either work or not. But they do and then the don't! And then they do again and so on! Just like the tripping! totally inconsistent...

 

[kellys_eye]

The only other possibility is a defective RCD (trip) - it does happen....

More 'complicated' faults relate to "borrowed neutrals" but that would have to be investigated by a qualified electrician. Wiring per se doesn't not 'randomly' introduce such faults.

Do you have any storage heating on the system? Also check for humidity levels - drying clothes indoors is a typical 'flat' occupation but the steam/condensation developing on socket plates can cause random tripping too.

 

[WHONOES]

Have you tried you speakers i someone else's flat / house to see if the problem is replicated. Doing so would eliminate or confirm as problematic.

 

[Hopup]

Similar thing did happen to me when the system was apparently overloaded. My headphones and computer started making really loud pulsating sound until power was taken off.

 

[Alec_t]

Are you sure no current is being drawn from 'your' system by the occupier of an adjoining flat?

 

[Cannonball]

If I were you I would get an electrician to check it out.

 

[stef332]

Hi,

so, yes, of course an electrician was sent by my landlord and he suggested to rewire all plugs (one day's work) rather than carry on trying to find the fault which could be possibly anywhere inside the walls/under the floor.

Yes, damp is a factor in my flat nad that could possibly explain why the tripping happened mainly at night.

Anyway, so now I have new wall plugs on a totally new circuit (to the same fuse) and everything seems fine so far.

HOWEVER, my speakers are now totally gone. When I turn them on, independently from the circuit, they make a constant bass sound as per video. Any ideas what the problem might be and how to resolve it?

Thanks

 

[stef332]

Are you sure no current is being drawn from 'your' system by the occupier of an adjoining flat?

i did consider this option but it is definitely not the case. Power was never affected in their flat...

 

[WHONOES]

Your speaker problem sounds like a blown output stage on your amplifier. What you are actually hearing is the power supply hum caused by the speaker being directly coupled to the power supply.
You need to investigate your amp.