"TomR" wrote in message
...
In ,
What I did then was take that breaker completely out. I bought a new
breaker for that circuit but I moved the new breaker to a different
position in the panel box where it would connect to a perfectly good
center terminal. I put a snap-in cover plate in the space on the panel
cover where the original breaker had been located (I forget what they are
called) to cover the hole that was created by removing the original
breaker.

That completely solved the problem and there has been no problem since
then.

So, even though the symptoms that you experienced are now gone, you may
want to try unsnapping that breaker and one or two nearby and look to see
what the terminals underneath look like. Of course, turn the power off
first and be sure to use all of the necessary precautions regarding any
part of the panel that may still be live even with the main circuit
breaker off.

Maybe your problem is now fixed, or maybe you will see evidence of arcing
and burning where the breaker contacts the center terminal.

It is worth a look just in case.


Things like that are not in most books. It is a good idea to tighten all
the screws while the panel is off also. I remember stories of the aluminum
house wiring that would hapen to and could cause a fire.