Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.

A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.


One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).

What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

"Toasty" wrote in message
...
The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.

A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.


One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).

What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?



It depend upon the circuits. If they happen to be an Edison, or multiwire
circuit, which share a neutral for both circuits, the neutral can be loose
at the panel or the location where the two circuits split

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

"Toasty" wrote in message
...
The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.

A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.


One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).

What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?


*There could be loose connections anywhere along the circuit. Each outlet
on the circuit should be opened up and inspected. A common cause of this
problem is the back stabbing of the conductors into the back of switches and
receptacles. Although this can happen with screw connections as well it
seems to be more prevalent with back stabbing.

You didn't say, but the electrician should have tightened ALL connections in
the panel; Neutrals, hots, grounds.

Are these circuits on the same phase? If so that could indicate a utility
problem which could be at the pole or at your service head.

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

By "2 separate circuits" does that mean that you are sure that two
separate circuit breakers are involved? The rest of your post is
confusing in this regard. If you really mean two electrical outlets
fed from the same circuit breaker then the first and easiest step
would be to have an electrician replace the relevant circuit breaker
regardless what inspection revealed unless the inspection involved
some form of load testing. The next thing to look at would be loose
connections or faults in the wiring beyond that circuit breaker.

Whatever, this is something an experienced electrician would have to
troubleshoot and solve. Suggest you get another electrician (not the
same one) and have him start from scratch. Just like getting a second
opinion from another doctor when tricky health issues arise.


On Apr 12, 10:31*am, Toasty wrote:

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

I've got to agree with RBM here. It sounds like the neutrals have a bad
connection someplace.
It's easy to find a bad breaker, but it's tough to find a bad neutral. Shut
the breaker down, start at the receptacle giving you the problem and check
every connection from that point to the breaker box. You may have to use use
a circuit tracer to find all the connections.



"RBM" wrote in message
...

"Toasty" wrote in message
...
The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.

A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.


One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).

What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?



It depend upon the circuits. If they happen to be an Edison, or multiwire
circuit, which share a neutral for both circuits, the neutral can be
loose at the panel or the location where the two circuits split

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

On Apr 12, 12:41*pm, "Big Bob" wrote:
I've got to agree with RBM here. It sounds like the neutrals have a bad
connection someplace.
It's easy to find a bad breaker, but it's tough to find a bad neutral. Shut
the breaker down, start at the receptacle giving you the problem and check
every connection from that point to the breaker box. You may have to use use
a circuit tracer to find all the connections.

"RBM" wrote in message

...





"Toasty" wrote in message
...
The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.

This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.

A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. *He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.

One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). * I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. *Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).

What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?

It depend upon the circuits. If they happen to be an Edison, or multiwire
circuit, which share a neutral for both circuits, the neutral can be
loose at the panel or the location where the two circuits split- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

We have annual maintenance at work that requires us to check the
connections on all the breakers. It says nothing about checking the
neutrals. I do it anyway. This omission is interesting because I have
found more problems with bad neutrals than I have ever found with
breaker connections.

Jimmie

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

Interesting. I've been living in my newer home for a few months and the
lights would dim when I'd turn the TV on. Uh-oh.....

So, I've just been spending a few days removing all of the wall outlets and
re-tighting the screws... and three out of about twelve outlets, so far,
had *very* loose screws. Almost all of them were daisy-chained.

This type of thing could've raised hell in years down the road...

Next step: redoing attic junction boxes.

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

JIMMIE wrote:
On Apr 12, 12:41 pm, "Big Bob" wrote:
I've got to agree with RBM here. It sounds like the neutrals have a bad
connection someplace.
It's easy to find a bad breaker, but it's tough to find a bad neutral. Shut
the breaker down, start at the receptacle giving you the problem and check
every connection from that point to the breaker box. You may have to use use
a circuit tracer to find all the connections.

"RBM" wrote in message

...





"Toasty" wrote in message
...
The flickering coincides on 2 separate circuits that I know of.
This is not the brief interruption of electricity that occurs when a
major appliance starts up.
A licensed electrician inspected the circuit breakers for ground,
broken buss bars, signs of arcing and loose connections, but found
nothing. He also inspected the utility company's electric meter for
loose connections and signs of arcing.
One of the circuits has a refrigerator and microwave oven connected to
it (2 separate electrical outlets on same circuit). I notice the
clock on the microwave oven dim and hear the refrigerator cut off at
the same time. Also, a fluorescent lamp flickers at the same time the
electricity to a modem is cut off on a different circuit (2 separate
electrical outlets on same circuit).
What could affect 2 separate circuits and cause this flickering?
It depend upon the circuits. If they happen to be an Edison, or multiwire
circuit, which share a neutral for both circuits, the neutral can be
loose at the panel or the location where the two circuits split- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

We have annual maintenance at work that requires us to check the
connections on all the breakers. It says nothing about checking the
neutrals. I do it anyway. This omission is interesting because I have
found more problems with bad neutrals than I have ever found with
breaker connections.

Jimmie

On commercial service calls I can often take the
cover off a conduit box and have one or more wire
nuts fall off when I pull the wires out. Makes me
wonder who's training todays electricians.

TDD

Intermittent flickering on 2 separate circuits
 

On Apr 12, 3:59*pm, "Kalarama" wrote:
Interesting. * I've been living in my newer home for a few months and the
lights would dim when I'd turn the TV on. *Uh-oh.....

So, I've just been spending a few days removing all of the wall outlets and
re-tighting the screws... *and three out of about twelve outlets, so far,
had *very* loose screws. *Almost all of them were daisy-chained.

snip

You pig-tailed them all then, right? Or plan to later? IIRC, Leviton
and maybe others are making snap in devices to take the drudgery out
of pig-tailing. Pricing could slow more universal adoption, but labor
saving might be decent trade-off.

Joe