Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Hello, From time to time, the lights on two of my electric circuits
flicker at the same time and to the same degree of intensity; other lights on other circuits are not affected. When this happens, the load within the house does not change (no AC units coming on, etc.) and the bulbs are all tight. I have not checked to see the breakers to these circuits are wired tightly but they appear to be set into the buss bars correctly because they sit within the panel cover the way they should. So, some type of voltage drop appears to be occurring on these circuits. Can bad (old) breakers cause this type of fluctuation? Other ideas? Thanks! D. MacQueen |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Flickering is generally caused by loose connections, which can occur
anywhere along the circuit from the breaker to the end of the chain. You need to check the neutral wiring as well as the hot wrote in message oups.com... Hello, From time to time, the lights on two of my electric circuits flicker at the same time and to the same degree of intensity; other lights on other circuits are not affected. When this happens, the load within the house does not change (no AC units coming on, etc.) and the bulbs are all tight. I have not checked to see the breakers to these circuits are wired tightly but they appear to be set into the buss bars correctly because they sit within the panel cover the way they should. So, some type of voltage drop appears to be occurring on these circuits. Can bad (old) breakers cause this type of fluctuation? Other ideas? Thanks! D. MacQueen |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
How about whan a truck rolls by or you walk heavily around the house or wind
blows strongly. Might these two circuits share the same 12-3 Romex cable? In that case they would share the same neutral wire and that is what may be loose. Alternatively, they may both go to a double (two- half sized) breaker in which case they are on the same breaker (body not switch) and would share the same contact to the bus bar. If you have an open slot, move the breaker to this position. Arcing between the bus bar and breaker contact will erode the metal and result in an intermittant contact. You need to replace and move the breaker if that is the case. Listen for a buzzing in the box while the light flicker and that would support this theory. wrote in message oups.com... Hello, From time to time, the lights on two of my electric circuits flicker at the same time and to the same degree of intensity; other lights on other circuits are not affected. When this happens, the load within the house does not change (no AC units coming on, etc.) and the bulbs are all tight. I have not checked to see the breakers to these circuits are wired tightly but they appear to be set into the buss bars correctly because they sit within the panel cover the way they should. So, some type of voltage drop appears to be occurring on these circuits. Can bad (old) breakers cause this type of fluctuation? Other ideas? Thanks! D. MacQueen |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
wrote in message oups.com... Hello, From time to time, the lights on two of my electric circuits flicker at the same time and to the same degree of intensity; other lights on other circuits are not affected. When this happens, the load within the house does not change (no AC units coming on, etc.) and the bulbs are all tight. I have not checked to see the breakers to these circuits are wired tightly but they appear to be set into the buss bars correctly because they sit within the panel cover the way they should. So, some type of voltage drop appears to be occurring on these circuits. Can bad (old) breakers cause this type of fluctuation? Other ideas? Thanks! D. MacQueen In addition to what others have said, it is possible that bad circuit breakers are the cause although not always likely except with certain brands. In my area of New Jersey there are several condo developments built by one particular builder that are notorious for defective circuit breakers. I think that they were originally made by ITE which is no longer around. They are identified as the thin type and the bus connection is a hook on the left or right side of the breaker. |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Thanks!
|
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Thanks!
|
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Thanks!
|
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Thanks!
|
#10
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Sorry for the individual posts saying "Thanks", I am new at this, but I
do appreciate everyone's help! Thanks again to all. |
#11
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
wrote in message ups.com... Sorry for the individual posts saying "Thanks", I am new at this, but I do appreciate everyone's help! Thanks again to all. If you really want to show your appreciation, tell us what the end result was. Where did you find the problem and how did you correct it? It is rare that we find out what happened after we give out all that helpful advice. |
#12
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
If you have the electric skill, tighten all the neutrals and grounds
in your circuit panel. Sometimes that makes some really strange effects. If you don't know what I'm talking about, print this off and show it to your electrician. -- Christopher A. Young You can't shout down a troll. You have to starve them. .. "John Grabowski" wrote in message ... wrote in message ups.com... Sorry for the individual posts saying "Thanks", I am new at this, but I do appreciate everyone's help! Thanks again to all. If you really want to show your appreciation, tell us what the end result was. Where did you find the problem and how did you correct it? It is rare that we find out what happened after we give out all that helpful advice. |
#13
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Flickering Lights
Stormin Mormon wrote: If you have the electric skill, tighten all the neutrals and grounds in your circuit panel. Sometimes that makes some really strange effects. If you don't know what I'm talking about, print this off and show it to your electrician. -- Christopher A. Young You can't shout down a troll. You have to starve them. . "John Grabowski" wrote in message ... wrote in message ups.com... Sorry for the individual posts saying "Thanks", I am new at this, but I do appreciate everyone's help! Thanks again to all. If you really want to show your appreciation, tell us what the end result was. Where did you find the problem and how did you correct it? It is rare that we find out what happened after we give out all that helpful advice. Ok, Here it is. The problem was the ITE breaker arching at the breaker attachment point on the buss bar. The more it arched, the looser it got. The electrician "pinched" over the attachment point so it was solid for now, while he said he'd look for a new breaker. I told my freind to spend the $ to replace the service panel before he burned his house down. Thanks again. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
House Lights Flickering? | UK diy | |||
House Lights Flickering | UK diy | |||
Lights flickering | Home Repair | |||
Flickering lights | Home Repair | |||
Flickering lights | UK diy |