On Sep 5, 4:40*am, Higgs Boson wrote:
My kitchen phone was *crackling horribly, so I bought a *replacement
at Radio Shack. *It worked fine for a month or so, then IT started
crackling just a week ago!

The phone AND the personal alarm system (in case of accident press
pendant around neck and summon help) both plug into the wall jack. *I
unplugged the alarm and plugged in only the phone. Still crackled.

I plugged the phone into a jack in another room, where it worked
fine. *So is the problem in the jack? *Or where?
All other phones in house work OK.

If only I had inside wiring coverage, I'd be home free, but I
cancelled it a while back because it had become so expensive.

After looking in vain on-line *for a diagram or something to help me
decide whether I can fix this,
I appeal to Your Greater Minds.

Is this something an amateur should be able to do?

Can someone offer succinct directions, or...

...refer me to a Web site for directions?

TIA

Hypatia

Those miniature wall jacks can be quite problem. Especially in damp or
cool location where moisture can deposit on them.

The miniature wire contacts are also very close together with the
telephone line usually on the two 'middle ones' (In North American
practice) often the Red and green wires and it's virtually impossible
to clean off some sort of metal migration that forms across the
plastic. There is 48 volts standing across those two contacts all the
time.

Suggestion would be to self-replace the wall jack with a cheap one
from a dollar store. Should be straightforward. Wire coliurs should be
marked on attachment screws. But regardless re-attach the wires
exactly as they are now. Wires go under and around screws clockwise.

Only other thing might be to make sure wiring to back of the wall
jack not loose or corroded by kitchen moisture.

Have also seen corrosion problems on surface mounted (not the in the
wall type) miniature contact jacks mounted low down in a cool
location. Also can depend on damp climate and sometimes when house air
is more damp during non-heating season etc.

In wall jacks mounted in a cool/cold 'outside' wall may get warm house
air condensing on them during winter.