I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test it?

"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

Try tightening all the wires in the panel below the main breaker. You
really should turn off the main when you do this. Then turn on the main and
see what voltages you are getting there. If your in the US it should be 240
phase to phase at the main and 120 from each phase to the ground/neutral
bar/can. You need a vom, a Volt Ohm Meter to do this. If these voltages are
not present then you need to call an electrician. Now check the outlets with
your meter, if your not reading 120 volts ac then you still need an
electrician.

You just bought a house , did you have the electrical inspected. You
realy need a pro you may have serious problems

I am not that familiar with the electrical Circuit box. When I bought the
house I had a home inspector look at it and he told me it has been recently
upgraded. If the work has been recently done then I should be able to
assume all the wires are tight. I can replace receptacles and switches but
opening the Circuit box is out of the question.

"SQLit" wrote in message
news:yIk3c.15915$BA.11539@fed1read03...

"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights,
but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

Try tightening all the wires in the panel below the main breaker. You
really should turn off the main when you do this. Then turn on the main
and
see what voltages you are getting there. If your in the US it should be
240
phase to phase at the main and 120 from each phase to the ground/neutral
bar/can. You need a vom, a Volt Ohm Meter to do this. If these voltages
are
not present then you need to call an electrician. Now check the outlets
with
your meter, if your not reading 120 volts ac then you still need an
electrician.

Do you live in Raleigh, NC. In my last house I had a problem (don't
remember exactly what it was) and asked the utility to check the line. They
did and ended up digging up an outside splice. They said there was a bunch
of defective splices used about 12 to 15 years ago.


"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

This house is in NY. Other circuits are working fine so I don't think it is
an outside splice. This was built in 1960 and by the way the wires are run,
I think they had a shortage of electricians!

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...
Do you live in Raleigh, NC. In my last house I had a problem (don't
remember exactly what it was) and asked the utility to check the line.
They
did and ended up digging up an outside splice. They said there was a
bunch
of defective splices used about 12 to 15 years ago.


"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights,
but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

CooSer wrote:
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought a house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as
lights, but not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like
it is 50W. A vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to
test it?

Any chance you have aluminum wires?

Second guess (also may be part of my first guess) you may have a
floating ground. Do any lights brighten or burn out more often than
expected?

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

You need a cheap voltmeter and one of those plug in polarity testers. You
can get both for under $25 at home depot.
With the cheap voltmeter set to "AC voltage", stick one lead into each of
the slots on your outlet (not the round-looking ground slot). Look at the
meter...if it reads 110-120, you have the correct voltage....anything lower
and you need an electrician to open the breaker panel and check things out
professionally.


"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

"CooSer" wrote in message ...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test it?

It sounds like you have a loose wire somewhere. If you have cheap receptacles with push-in wires,
change them to the screw down type. Measuring the voltage with no load on the circuit is almost
meaningless unless its no where near 120V. A poor connection will still show 120V when no load is
present. If you're losing enough power that a 100W lamp dims significantly, you can probably find
the problem with your hand -- the loose connection is going to get warm quick so feel each
receptacle in the circuit chain.

Also, a loose wire at a receptacle will affect the downstream receptacles too unless the receptacle
is pigtailed to the wires. Consider buying a pack of black, white, and green pigtails at Home Depot
with the wire nut on one end and fork terminal on the other. At the problem receptacles (or the one
upstream from it), remove the wires from the receptacle, buy new receptacles with screws on the
sides, and power them via the pigtails. Note - watch for receptacles with red and black wires --
these are wired different and you don't want to pigtail those together. Perhaps just re-terminate
them under screws if you encounter these.

If you know the path of the cable from outlet to outlet, you can plug a 100W lamp in at the last one
and measure the voltage at each receptacle. Poorly terminated ones, or ones downstream of the bad
one(s), won't have 120V across their prongs. Each time the voltage rop considerably, you've hit
another high resistance connection. Also, realize that many houses in the 60's were wired so that
power went to ceiling boxes first and then to receptacles. Ceiling boxes are larger and wires may
fan out like an octopus at the ceiling. A bad connection here will also cause power loss to the down
stream devices, so check the ceiling light connections too (especially since home owners tend to
change light fixtures and many do it poorly).

--
Mark
Kent, WA

These are really great ideas to try out. I am not any where near an
electrician but some of these ideas seem easy enough. My wires are copper
not aluminum. I don't really understand what pigtailing does, but I am
thinking about finding all of the receptacles and switches on the circuit
and replacing them with new ones. Before I do this though I will by a
voltage tester to see if that can pin point what receptacle/switch is bad.
Last night I found that my converted basement has track lighting and after
replacing a switch, found out that they don't light to capacity either.

If I can't figure this one out I may have to bite the big one and call a
pro.



"Mark or Sue" wrote in message
news:T7y3c.224776$uV3.949729@attbi_s51...
"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights,
but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

It sounds like you have a loose wire somewhere. If you have cheap
receptacles with push-in wires,
change them to the screw down type. Measuring the voltage with no load on
the circuit is almost
meaningless unless its no where near 120V. A poor connection will still
show 120V when no load is
present. If you're losing enough power that a 100W lamp dims
significantly, you can probably find
the problem with your hand -- the loose connection is going to get warm
quick so feel each
receptacle in the circuit chain.

Also, a loose wire at a receptacle will affect the downstream receptacles
too unless the receptacle
is pigtailed to the wires. Consider buying a pack of black, white, and
green pigtails at Home Depot
with the wire nut on one end and fork terminal on the other. At the
problem receptacles (or the one
upstream from it), remove the wires from the receptacle, buy new
receptacles with screws on the
sides, and power them via the pigtails. Note - watch for receptacles with
red and black wires --
these are wired different and you don't want to pigtail those together.
Perhaps just re-terminate
them under screws if you encounter these.

If you know the path of the cable from outlet to outlet, you can plug a
100W lamp in at the last one
and measure the voltage at each receptacle. Poorly terminated ones, or
ones downstream of the bad
one(s), won't have 120V across their prongs. Each time the voltage rop
considerably, you've hit
another high resistance connection. Also, realize that many houses in the
60's were wired so that
power went to ceiling boxes first and then to receptacles. Ceiling boxes
are larger and wires may
fan out like an octopus at the ceiling. A bad connection here will also
cause power loss to the down
stream devices, so check the ceiling light connections too (especially
since home owners tend to
change light fixtures and many do it poorly).

--
Mark
Kent, WA

From: "CooSer"


These are really great ideas to try out. I am not any where near an
electrician but some of these ideas seem easy enough. My wires are copper
not aluminum. I don't really understand what pigtailing does, but I am
thinking about finding all of the receptacles and switches on the circuit
and replacing them with new ones. Before I do this though I will by a
voltage tester to see if that can pin point what receptacle/switch is bad.
Last night I found that my converted basement has track lighting and after
replacing a switch, found out that they don't light to capacity either.

If I can't figure this one out I may have to bite the big one and call a
pro.

This bad circuit might be 1 of 2 bad circuits, the basement track being the
other one?

It's possible they're both fed from the same 3-wire, 2 circuit cable and the
neutral has become disconnected where the 3-wire cable splits into 2 circuits.
A loose or broken neutral at that point or in the panel would cause these 2
circuits to be in series across 220v.

Are any lights or appliances running too hot or bright or fast as well?




"Mark or Sue" wrote in message
news:T7y3c.224776$uV3.949729@attbi_s51...
"CooSer" wrote in message
. ..
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights,
but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

It sounds like you have a loose wire somewhere. If you have cheap
receptacles with push-in wires,
change them to the screw down type. Measuring the voltage with no load on
the circuit is almost
meaningless unless its no where near 120V. A poor connection will still
show 120V when no load is
present. If you're losing enough power that a 100W lamp dims
significantly, you can probably find
the problem with your hand -- the loose connection is going to get warm
quick so feel each
receptacle in the circuit chain.

Also, a loose wire at a receptacle will affect the downstream receptacles
too unless the receptacle
is pigtailed to the wires. Consider buying a pack of black, white, and
green pigtails at Home Depot
with the wire nut on one end and fork terminal on the other. At the
problem receptacles (or the one
upstream from it), remove the wires from the receptacle, buy new
receptacles with screws on the
sides, and power them via the pigtails. Note - watch for receptacles with
red and black wires --
these are wired different and you don't want to pigtail those together.
Perhaps just re-terminate
them under screws if you encounter these.

If you know the path of the cable from outlet to outlet, you can plug a
100W lamp in at the last one
and measure the voltage at each receptacle. Poorly terminated ones, or
ones downstream of the bad
one(s), won't have 120V across their prongs. Each time the voltage rop
considerably, you've hit
another high resistance connection. Also, realize that many houses in the
60's were wired so that
power went to ceiling boxes first and then to receptacles. Ceiling boxes
are larger and wires may
fan out like an octopus at the ceiling. A bad connection here will also
cause power loss to the down
stream devices, so check the ceiling light connections too (especially
since home owners tend to
change light fixtures and many do it poorly).

--
Mark
Kent, WA

To my knowledge, there are no appliances or lights running faster or
brighter.

Question: I started replacing some receptacles already and I noticed the
wires were switched like the following. Two cables running into the
receptacle both have a black and white. Previous owner had a white from the
left wire and a black from the right wire running to the same 'bottom' plug.
Same at the top. I started running the wires with both black and white from
the left screwed into the bottom plug, and both black and white on the right
screwed into the top plug. Is this right?

PS. My low voltage problem existed before I changed any receptacles.


"HA HA Budys Here" wrote in message
...
From: "CooSer"


These are really great ideas to try out. I am not any where near an
electrician but some of these ideas seem easy enough. My wires are
copper
not aluminum. I don't really understand what pigtailing does, but I am
thinking about finding all of the receptacles and switches on the circuit
and replacing them with new ones. Before I do this though I will by a
voltage tester to see if that can pin point what receptacle/switch is
bad.
Last night I found that my converted basement has track lighting and
after
replacing a switch, found out that they don't light to capacity either.

If I can't figure this one out I may have to bite the big one and call a
pro.

This bad circuit might be 1 of 2 bad circuits, the basement track being
the
other one?

It's possible they're both fed from the same 3-wire, 2 circuit cable and
the
neutral has become disconnected where the 3-wire cable splits into 2
circuits.
A loose or broken neutral at that point or in the panel would cause these
2
circuits to be in series across 220v.

Are any lights or appliances running too hot or bright or fast as well?




"Mark or Sue" wrote in message
news:T7y3c.224776$uV3.949729@attbi_s51...
"CooSer" wrote in message
. ..
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just
bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as
lights,
but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W.
A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to
test
it?

It sounds like you have a loose wire somewhere. If you have cheap
receptacles with push-in wires,
change them to the screw down type. Measuring the voltage with no load
on
the circuit is almost
meaningless unless its no where near 120V. A poor connection will still
show 120V when no load is
present. If you're losing enough power that a 100W lamp dims
significantly, you can probably find
the problem with your hand -- the loose connection is going to get warm
quick so feel each
receptacle in the circuit chain.

Also, a loose wire at a receptacle will affect the downstream
receptacles
too unless the receptacle
is pigtailed to the wires. Consider buying a pack of black, white, and
green pigtails at Home Depot
with the wire nut on one end and fork terminal on the other. At the
problem receptacles (or the one
upstream from it), remove the wires from the receptacle, buy new
receptacles with screws on the
sides, and power them via the pigtails. Note - watch for receptacles
with
red and black wires --
these are wired different and you don't want to pigtail those together.
Perhaps just re-terminate
them under screws if you encounter these.

If you know the path of the cable from outlet to outlet, you can plug a
100W lamp in at the last one
and measure the voltage at each receptacle. Poorly terminated ones, or
ones downstream of the bad
one(s), won't have 120V across their prongs. Each time the voltage rop
considerably, you've hit
another high resistance connection. Also, realize that many houses in
the
60's were wired so that
power went to ceiling boxes first and then to receptacles. Ceiling
boxes
are larger and wires may
fan out like an octopus at the ceiling. A bad connection here will also
cause power loss to the down
stream devices, so check the ceiling light connections too (especially
since home owners tend to
change light fixtures and many do it poorly).

--
Mark
Kent, WA

Musta been the guy who wired his house with 18 gage zipcord?

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test it?

Probably those useless "stab in" outlets.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Mark or Sue" wrote in message
news:T7y3c.224776$uV3.949729@attbi_s51...
"CooSer" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group but may be using it a lot since I have just bought
a
house that is turning out to be a true Handy Man Special.

Question: Some of my receptacles will run low voltage such as lights, but
not very bright. A hundred watt bulb will only look like it is 50W. A
vacuum cleaner will not even work.

I have replaced all receptacles in the bedroom but there may be more
switches and receptacles on this circuit.

Can anyone tell what the problem may be and is there an easy way to test
it?

It sounds like you have a loose wire somewhere. If you have cheap
receptacles with push-in wires,
change them to the screw down type. Measuring the voltage with no load on
the circuit is almost
meaningless unless its no where near 120V. A poor connection will still show
120V when no load is
present. If you're losing enough power that a 100W lamp dims significantly,
you can probably find
the problem with your hand -- the loose connection is going to get warm
quick so feel each
receptacle in the circuit chain.

Also, a loose wire at a receptacle will affect the downstream receptacles
too unless the receptacle
is pigtailed to the wires. Consider buying a pack of black, white, and green
pigtails at Home Depot
with the wire nut on one end and fork terminal on the other. At the problem
receptacles (or the one
upstream from it), remove the wires from the receptacle, buy new receptacles
with screws on the
sides, and power them via the pigtails. Note - watch for receptacles with
red and black wires --
these are wired different and you don't want to pigtail those together.
Perhaps just re-terminate
them under screws if you encounter these.

If you know the path of the cable from outlet to outlet, you can plug a 100W
lamp in at the last one
and measure the voltage at each receptacle. Poorly terminated ones, or ones
downstream of the bad
one(s), won't have 120V across their prongs. Each time the voltage rop
considerably, you've hit
another high resistance connection. Also, realize that many houses in the
60's were wired so that
power went to ceiling boxes first and then to receptacles. Ceiling boxes are
larger and wires may
fan out like an octopus at the ceiling. A bad connection here will also
cause power loss to the down
stream devices, so check the ceiling light connections too (especially since
home owners tend to
change light fixtures and many do it poorly).

--
Mark
Kent, WA