Insert cliche: yes you do learn something every day.
Just a few minutes ago the lights in one room flickered and went out. But all other power was still fine. I was slightly annoyed as it was one of those “last for months/years” compact fluorescent globes…and it was fairly new.
Checked another room, no lights. Clearly it was the fuses.
And no, they were both fine.
I checked the neighbours on one side and they have both power and light. Next step was to change the light fuses just in case…and that meant a trip to the shop to buy some new fuse wire.
Just about to get in the car when the neighbour on the other side saw me and asked if I had strange power problems. Their lights were okay, but some devices had lost power. Now this really puzzled me.
Trying to remain logical I looked up and saw both our houses had power lines coming off the same pole. So we talked to the occupants of a 3rd house on said pole. And they were the same as me.
But in a stroke of luck, he is an electrician. He pointed out that different phases of power come into our houses…and it depends what is wired to where. So Phase A does not always go to Lights, and B to Power. He said that they – the power supplier – had probably lost one phase.
Just as he said that, his lights came on. And, inside my house – and indeed my head – so did mine.