Is this a coincidence or will my flat burn down?

[FuckFaulknerILikeTheGruffalo]

Background: Lightbulbs in my flat last about two weeks before they blow.

Was sitting watching tv yesterday evening and the kettle is in eyesight from the sofa. Saw the kettle click on then off by itself, about three times over a couple of hours.

I'm thinking the (private) landlord got someone in to do the wiring at some point way before I moved in and it wasn't someone who was qualified properly and the wiring is dodgy??

Keeping everything turned off at the plug when I'm not using it. Emailed landlord keeping my theory to myself so as not to be rude but probably won't get a response for ages, as standard with him.

[CheeseBadger]

If you have an electric kettle which is turning on and off intermittently you're more likely to have a poltergeist (or a faulty kettle) than dodgy wiring.

[FuckFaulknerILikeTheGruffalo]

I did get a bit of a woo feeling when it happened!! Haha but shrugged that off pretty quickly.

I feel like it's the wiring because of the lightbulbs and it is like electricity must be surging into the kettle without someone needing to click the kettle on to "draw" electricity out from the socket. I can't see how a kettle can to decide to draw electricity out from the wall by itself even if it is faulty?

[CheeseBadger]

There has to be something wrong with the kettle switch. I can't see how it could be the supply. The breakdown voltage for air is three million volts per metre. Even if your kettle switch has a contact gap of a millimetre, you'd need 3 kilovolts of direct current to be coming out of the socket to stand a chance of hearing it click on. Light bulbs wouldn't survive that for more than a couple of seconds.

By all means get the wiring checked (your landlord should have done this anyway - can they show you the certificate?), but I'm suspecting your kettle may be a fire risk.

[Pipbin]

Poltergeist - for sure.

[Sunnyshores]

Some landlords do electrical checks, but it isnt legally required, so go gentle on this request too. I would think its the poltergeist kettle
Check your smoke detectors, so you sleep easy.

[CheeseBadger]

I'd replace the kettle as well as checking smoke alarms. A kettle that can spontaneously switch itself on is incredibly dangerous in case I wasn't clear before.

[SevenAteNine]

If your fridge opens up and starts throwing bits of chicken at you, it's a poultrygeist.

It isn't the mains, but you must replace that kettle. The fuse on it will blow before it catches fire, but it will let you down.

[FuckFaulknerILikeTheGruffalo]

Okay it's the kettle then! Thanks, just kettle plus lightbulbs made me think something was seriously off with the flat rather than just the kettle/wandering spirits.

New kettle will be bought tomorrow for sure!

It was very creepy, watching the kettle - just seeing the switch click and light up by itself and the kettle start going then turn off again. I might leave a cup of tea out in case it is a thirsty ghostie

I've been wanting the LL to look into why lightbulbs only last a couple of weeks anyway and I didn't word it accusatory, just "Been meaning to say the lightbulbs always go and now the kettle is acting strange, flat might need looked at?" sort of thing rather than "Oi, you been using dodgy tradesmen?!"

[specialsubject]

word it as per the first request. Landlord can't fix what he doesn't know about. Landlord also has obligation to provide a reasonably safe flat.

(I say 'reasonably safe' because totally safe is impossible)