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 Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. These
are connected to a dimmer. In the winter months, I have a cigar out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan in the
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last week
when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they normally do,
but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light. Now the problem is
intermittent. The other night the lights would flash, then stop when I
turned on the heater. I believe I need to replace the dimmer with a higher
wattage type. I've read that 600 watts is standard. Do you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?


-Thanks

  #2   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,934
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?


"James Egan" wrote in message
news
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. These
are connected to a dimmer. In the winter months, I have a cigar out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan in the
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last week
when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they normally do,
but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light. Now the problem is
intermittent. The other night the lights would flash, then stop when I
turned on the heater. I believe I need to replace the dimmer with a
higher
wattage type. I've read that 600 watts is standard. Do you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?




Replacing the dimmer is the easiest fix, but a higher wattage rating is not
needed in this case. The fact that the heater and the lights are on the
same circuit and causing voltage drop may have had a long term detrimental
effect on the existing dimmer. Instead of wasting another dimmer, install a
regular wall switch for the time being to see if the flashing problem goes
away. Would it be easy to separate the outlets from the lighting so that
you have two different circuits as I think that would be the best way to go?

  #3   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,563
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?


"James Egan" wrote in message
news
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. These
are connected to a dimmer. In the winter months, I have a cigar out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan in the
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last week
when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they normally do,
but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light. Now the problem is
intermittent. The other night the lights would flash, then stop when I
turned on the heater. I believe I need to replace the dimmer with a
higher
wattage type. I've read that 600 watts is standard. Do you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?


-Thanks


It's possible that the dimmer is bad, although there is no need to use a
higher wattage dimmer. I would check to see if the lights and outlet that
the heater is plugged into are on the same circuit. It may be that they are
on two different circuits sharing a neutral (Edison circuit, or multiwire
circuit), in which case, there may be a loose connection in the shared
neutral.


  #4   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Dec 20, 9:27�am, James Egan wrote:
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. �These
are connected to a dimmer. �In the winter months, I have a cigar out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan in the
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last week
when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they normally do,
but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light. �Now the problem is
intermittent. �The other night the lights would flash, then stop when I
turned on the heater. �I believe I need to replace the dimmer with a higher
wattage type. �I've read that 600 watts is standard. �Do you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?

-Thanks


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a waste
of money.

beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:26:40 -0500, John Grabowski wrote:

Replacing the dimmer is the easiest fix, but a higher wattage rating is not
needed in this case. The fact that the heater and the lights are on the
same circuit and causing voltage drop may have had a long term detrimental
effect on the existing dimmer. Instead of wasting another dimmer, install a
regular wall switch for the time being to see if the flashing problem goes
away. Would it be easy to separate the outlets from the lighting so that
you have two different circuits as I think that would be the best way to go?



No, I like the dimmer out there. I believe the heater and lights are on
the same circuit, because the lights dim or get bright, depending on if
the heater is on or off. I'm probably going to try replacing the dimmer.

-Thanks



  #8   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,946
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

James Egan wrote in
news
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs.
These are connected to a dimmer. In the winter months, I have a cigar
out there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box
fan in the window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box
fan. Last week when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as
they normally do, but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light.
Now the problem is intermittent. The other night the lights would
flash, then stop when I turned on the heater. I believe I need to
replace the dimmer with a higher wattage type. I've read that 600
watts is standard. Do you think that will stop the lights from
flashing?


-Thanks


Maybe they have emphysema.
  #9   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,946
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

" wrote in
:

On Dec 20, 9:27�am, James Egan wrote:
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. ï¿

½These
are connected to a dimmer. �In the winter months, I have a cigar

out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan
in th

e
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last
week when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they
normally do, but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light.
�Now the pro

blem is
intermittent. �The other night the lights would flash, then stop

when I
turned on the heater. �I believe I need to replace the dimmer wit

h a higher
wattage type. �I've read that 600 watts is standard. �Do

you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?

-Thanks


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a waste
of money.

beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad


Healthy is just the slowest possibly way to die of old age :-)

  #11   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,946
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

" wrote in
:

On Dec 20, 1:25�pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
James Egan wrote:
On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:47:39 -0800, wrote:


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a
waste of money.


beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad


Yes, I plan on replacing the dimmer.


And smoking in my family has never been problem for ANYONE. �Al

l lived
to their 80's and 90's. �some smoked heavily. �I smoked

cigarettes for 35
years, just quit 3 years ago, and my lungs are in great health. ï¿

½Yet I've
known MANY people over the years who have gotten lung cancer, that
neve

r
smoked in their lives.


Fine cigars are no more a waste of money than a fine wine, �or

aged
scotch, or an aged steak, etc. �It's a luxury.


Yup,
It'd your life, you do whatever you want with it.
I once looked at dead smokers lung during autopsy.
It looked like soot covered chimney inside. Npo one
in my family has that filthy luxury(as you put it).- Hide quoted text
-

- Show quoted text -


trouble is smoking causes health troubles that cost every single
american big bucks for health care.

taxes on anything that causes health care costs should be increased to
cover those costs./


anything that causes health care costs



including fattening food etc



Very minor mention of overweight people yet related health care costs due
to that make smokers a small piece of the pie.

Yea I smoke. Yea it stinks. Yea someone has to make the bandwagon people
look good.

"anything that causes health care costs"...well, aging at any level
causes health care costs even if one lives a perfect life healthwise.
So, raise taxes on people just for being a year older!


Oh well, life sucks. But only a day at a time.
  #12   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Dec 20, 9:57�pm, Red Green wrote:
" wrote :





On Dec 20, 1:25�pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
James Egan wrote:
On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:47:39 -0800, wrote:


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a
waste of money.


beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad


Yes, I plan on replacing the dimmer.


And smoking in my family has never been problem for ANYONE. �Al

l lived
to their 80's and 90's. �some smoked heavily. �I smoked

�cigarettes for 35
years, just quit 3 years ago, and my lungs are in great health. �

�Yet I've
known MANY people over the years who have gotten lung cancer, that
neve

r
smoked in their lives.


Fine cigars are no more a waste of money than a fine wine, �or

aged
scotch, or an aged steak, etc. �It's a luxury.


Yup,
It'd your life, you do whatever you want with it.
I once looked at dead smokers lung during autopsy.
It looked like soot covered chimney inside. Npo one
in my family has that filthy luxury(as you put it).- Hide quoted text
-


- Show quoted text -


trouble is smoking causes health troubles that cost every single
american big bucks for health care.


taxes on anything that causes health care costs should be increased to
cover those costs./
anything that causes health care costs


including fattening food etc


Very minor mention of overweight people yet related health care costs due
to that make smokers a small piece of the pie.

Yea I smoke. Yea it stinks. Yea someone has to make the bandwagon people
look good.

"anything that causes health care costs"...well, aging at any level
causes health care costs even if one lives a perfect life healthwise. �
So, raise taxes on people just for being a year older!

Oh well, life sucks. But only a day at a time.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


smoking is just plain stupid. so tax the heck out of it, to discourage
it and pay nthe excess health care costs.

bet if you get lung cancer, or any of the other problems you will
demand the best our health care system can provide? then pay for it as
you smoke yourself into a early grave

also tax fattening food thats causing obesity epidemic today, again
tax money tp pay for excess health care costs.

you know no one needs to smoke to live but everyone must eat to
live.......

obviously aging leads to death, but age healthfully........
  #13   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

incidently smoking anywhere around children should get the offending
adult charged with child abuse.........
  #15   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,447
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Dec 20, 3:25*pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
James Egan wrote:
On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:47:39 -0800, wrote:


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a waste
of money.


beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad


Yes, I plan on replacing the dimmer.


And smoking in my family has never been problem for ANYONE. *All lived
to their 80's and 90's. *some smoked heavily. *I smoked cigarettes for 35
years, just quit 3 years ago, and my lungs are in great health. *Yet I've
known MANY people over the years who have gotten lung cancer, that never
smoked in their lives.


Fine cigars are no more a waste of money than a fine wine, *or aged
scotch, or an aged steak, etc. *It's a luxury.


Yup,
It'd your life, you do whatever you want with it.
I once looked at dead smokers lung during autopsy.
It looked like soot covered chimney inside. Npo one
in my family has that filthy luxury(as you put it).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Which is why Americans have to pay for their own health care?
Same with obesity?
BTW: Is that heater is wired through the dimmer? At very least it
sounds as though there may be voltage drop problem?
Four x 75 = 300 watts (maybe 400 watts)
Heater = 1500 watts
Fan? = say 25 watts?
TOTAL = around 2000 watts.
If that wiring happens to be 14AWG (Common for lighting wiring!) and
the dimmer is rated for say 600 watts it sounds like overloading; but
insufficient info provided to really know.
Oh also btw. There will always be the 'two pack a day smokers'; some
of whom will live to 90+.
But last year our neighbour once a heavy smoker died of lung cancer.
He was an excellent wood worker; some 15 years younger than I.
Strangely before retirement he had been a an X. Ray technical
instructor. In fact it may have been that that persuaded him to give
up smoking.
Unfortunately it caught up with him at age around 60! What a waste!
Nice man.


  #16   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Dec 21, 3:55�am, "J. Clarke" wrote:
wrote:
incidently smoking anywhere around children should get the offending
adult charged with child abuse.........


Geez, how long is it going to be before just being on the same planet
with a kid is "child abuse". �GET SOME DAMNED PERSPECTIVE.

--
--
--John


secondhand smoke causes a long list of health troubles for children
like hard to treat ear infections asthma etc, the necessary
antibiotics are being over used and resistant to those infections.

did you know smoking is the trigger for rhumetoid arthritis? my
grandma died of that all crippled unable to move, it was a horrible
end. what finally killed her was arthritic lum,ps in her lungs, she
had quit after a lifetime of smoking

In pennsylvania foster parents are no longer permitted to smoke around
the children in their care even in their own home statre law

so you want perspective????/

do you believe making kids and others around you ill is OK?

If smoking makes you seriously ill will you expect first class health
care paid for by others? the vast majority non smokers?
  #17   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,009
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

wrote

so you want perspective????/


You and the others need to take a chill. Guy asked about flickering lights
and electrical problems.


  #19   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 16
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:29:15 -0800, terry wrote:
of whom will live to 90+.
But last year our neighbour once a heavy smoker died of lung cancer.
He was an excellent wood worker; some 15 years younger than I.
Strangely before retirement he had been a an X. Ray technical
instructor. In fact it may have been that that persuaded him to give
up smoking.
Unfortunately it caught up with him at age around 60! What a waste!
Nice man.



You don't know that for certain -- Many non-smokers get lung cancer too.
I've been taking a survey of sorts for decades now.
  #22   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,946
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

terry wrote in
:

On Dec 20, 3:25*pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
James Egan wrote:
On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:47:39 -0800, wrote:


QUIT SMOKING! IT LEADS TO POOR HEALTH early ugly death and is a
waste of money.


beyond that just replace the dimmer........ its likely bad


Yes, I plan on replacing the dimmer.


And smoking in my family has never been problem for ANYONE. *All
live

d
to their 80's and 90's. *some smoked heavily. *I smoked cigarettes

for 35
years, just quit 3 years ago, and my lungs are in great health.
*Yet

I've
known MANY people over the years who have gotten lung cancer, that
neve

r
smoked in their lives.


Fine cigars are no more a waste of money than a fine wine, *or aged
scotch, or an aged steak, etc. *It's a luxury.


Yup,
It'd your life, you do whatever you want with it.
I once looked at dead smokers lung during autopsy.
It looked like soot covered chimney inside. Npo one
in my family has that filthy luxury(as you put it).- Hide quoted text
-

- Show quoted text -


Which is why Americans have to pay for their own health care?
Same with obesity?
BTW: Is that heater is wired through the dimmer? At very least it
sounds as though there may be voltage drop problem?
Four x 75 = 300 watts (maybe 400 watts)
Heater = 1500 watts
Fan? = say 25 watts?
TOTAL = around 2000 watts.
If that wiring happens to be 14AWG (Common for lighting wiring!) and
the dimmer is rated for say 600 watts it sounds like overloading; but
insufficient info provided to really know.
Oh also btw. There will always be the 'two pack a day smokers'; some
of whom will live to 90+.
But last year our neighbour once a heavy smoker died of lung cancer.
He was an excellent wood worker; some 15 years younger than I.
Strangely before retirement he had been a an X. Ray technical
instructor. In fact it may have been that that persuaded him to give
up smoking.
Unfortunately it caught up with him at age around 60! What a waste!
Nice man.


I'm doomed to croak of cancer. Virtually everyone on both sides for
generations has. Some smoked, some quit and some never did.

Nobody gets out alive.
  #23   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

On Dec 21, 4:03�pm, James Egan wrote:
On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:29:15 -0800, terry wrote:

�of whom will live to 90+.

But last year our neighbour once a heavy smoker died of lung cancer.
He was an excellent wood worker; �some 15 years younger than I.
Strangely before retirement he had been a an X. Ray technical
instructor. In fact it may have been that that persuaded him to give
up smoking.
Unfortunately it caught up with him at age around 60! What a waste!
Nice man.


You don't know that for certain -- Many non-smokers get lung cancer too.
I've been taking a survey of sorts for decades now.




yeah my aunt a NON SMOKER died of lung cancer, her hubby was and still
is a chain smoker, she died of lung cancer from second hand smoke. its
a known problem'

your trying to justify your smoking, and frankly I could care less
that you smoke!

But I DO OBJECT that my health insurance costs more to cover your
stupid habit.

just pay your own way, thru higher taxes and fund a health insurance
program for smoking related illnesses.
  #24   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?



Since you don't smoke, theoretically you'll live decades longer,
draining the system of social security, incurring age related medical
expenses, and polluting the environment for 20 years longer than a
non-smoker. YOU should pay extra taxes! �Think about it.


jim egan read what you wrote

smoke must be muddling your mind, just as it blackens your lungs...



  #25   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

In the spirit of the season, go to the first one and change the one with
the little red mark on it... :-)


James Egan wrote:
In my sun room I have 4 recessed lights with 75 or 100 watt bulbs. These
are connected to a dimmer. In the winter months, I have a cigar out
there, and have a 1500 watt quartz heater in front of me, a box fan in the
window, and a small fan blowing the smoke towards the box fan. Last week
when I turned off the heater, the lights brightened as they normally do,
but all 4 lights began flashing like a strobe light. Now the problem is
intermittent. The other night the lights would flash, then stop when I
turned on the heater. I believe I need to replace the dimmer with a higher
wattage type. I've read that 600 watts is standard. Do you think that
will stop the lights from flashing?


-Thanks



  #26   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,852
Default Why are ceiling lights flashing?

James Egan wrote:
On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:29:15 -0800, terry wrote:
of whom will live to 90+.
But last year our neighbour once a heavy smoker died of lung cancer.
He was an excellent wood worker; some 15 years younger than I.
Strangely before retirement he had been a an X. Ray technical
instructor. In fact it may have been that that persuaded him to give
up smoking.
Unfortunately it caught up with him at age around 60! What a waste!
Nice man.



You don't know that for certain -- Many non-smokers get lung cancer too.
I've been taking a survey of sorts for decades now.


Heck, Radon gas is the second to tobacco smoke
as a cancer risk. Many people are clueless when
it comes to Radon gas exposure. I doubt most folks
even know what it is and where it comes from.

TDD
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Two adjacent ceiling lights. Need two ceiling boxes? fourrings Home Repair 11 November 14th 07 02:15 PM
Xbox 360 - 3 red flashing lights - error 0102 [email protected] Electronics Repair 0 May 7th 07 11:13 AM
Zanussi DE6744 stopping mid cycle with flashing lights, then not filling [email protected] Home Repair 0 September 22nd 05 08:35 AM
Zanussi DE6744 stopping mid cycle with flashing lights [email protected] Home Ownership 0 September 22nd 05 08:34 AM
Flashing lights? outofthewoods UK diy 4 December 12th 04 11:01 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:24 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"