MattG wrote:

Three weeks ago the floor lamp in my living room began to dim
intermittently and continued to do so. Then 3 days ago the floor lamp
and the television lost power and immediately came back on. The
following day this happened again, and not 20 minutes later it happened
again. Now the power loss is happening at 5 minute intervals or less,
sometimes a 1/2 second and the time it takes for the power to restore
is lengthening. Most recently it took 15 minutes for the lamp and the
TV to come back on.

In actuality the problem described above is affecting all the outlets
and fixtures on the circuit supplying power to that portion of the
house. Also, it seems that the interval between power loss decreases
with an increase in load. For example, if I have one floor lamp turned
on it may stay on for 20 minutes, but as soon as I increase the load,
the power loss occurs more frequently.

Any guidance or ideas here?

Thanks,

Matt G


You've got a "loose disconnection" somewhere in that circuit.

Turn off the breaker and start checking the tightnes of the wire
terminal screws on all the recepticals on that circuit, starting with
the one closest to the panel, if you can tell which one that is. Chances
are you'll find discoloration at a "loose screw".

If any recepticals have been wired with "back stab" connections, switch
them over so the wires are firmly captured under the terminal screws. If
you find a loose connection which seems like it's really fried the
receptical, put in a new receptical.

If you didn't find anything suspicious, throw the main breaker, open up
the breaker box, and CAREFULLY check the tightness of the output
terminal screw on the breaker for the troubled circuit and trace the
neutral lead from the same circuit back to where it's secured in a
ground strip and check that screw too.

Betcha that'll do it.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."