Jim Witte wrote:
We've had a problem for the past year or so where every so often one
circuit in our house starts to brown-out intermittantly. This circuit is
the newest one in the house, and I believe was inserted on it's own
breaker. In addition to the brown-outs, evidenced by light flickering as
well as phone, TV and VCR turning on and off sometimes (one can hear some
relay in the TV clicking repeatedly), a static-like noise can be heard
coming from the breaker.

An electrician told us that the problem was corrosion in the breaker or
in the wireing in the entire electrical box, which showed up first on the

This does not make sense. If the problem were the breaker, an honest
electrician would simply have replaced it, to the tune of say $10 for a
breaker and 5 minutes labor. And, the symptoms you describe could be
worrisome--- flickering of a light likely means arcing somewhere in the
circuit, arcing means heat, and .... And yes, you are correct that
problems on one circuit only are not consistent with a problem with the
entire box.


My guess for why the problem would improve after a load was on the circuit
would be that there is a loose and therefore high resistance connection,
which heat sup under load, causing metal parts to expand, and thereby
improving the connection until they cool down again.
(I can't understand how this would "cure" the problem for weeks, though.)

I would suggest you call another electrician, and sooner, rather than
later.

Note--- I am not a pro, just a DIY type who has done a lot of electrical
work.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=
Mike Lacy, Ft Collins CO 80523
voice (970) 491-6721