Cheryl:

I'll join this thread, if I may....


C Is the
C electrical service underground or overhead?
C
C It may be a combination. Our whole neighborhood was knocked out
C (downed power lines) after Hurricane Isobel and the overhead lines
C and poles had to be replaced. But, a neighbor who has the same
C problem (I just found out!) said the power company told them in
C this neighborhood the power supplying homes is underground.

They may have done a quickie job to get as many people's power back in
as short a time as possible. Then again something may have come loose
from ordinary wear and tear. I would be inclined to hire an
electrician to check for loose wires in the service panel. You can do
some prelininary guess-work for him by noting when and what circuits
have problems. If (for example) the kitchen, living room, and bath
dim but the bedroom and basement do not there may be a commonality
such as all on the same phase. (Usually homes in the U.S. have two
phase wiring.) Then again if there's one loose wire in the service
panel the electrican should tighten all of them "just in case".


C Can you correlate
C the flickering lights with thunderstorms and lightning somewhere
C in your area?
C
C Nope. Nothing weird going on outdoors at all when this happens.
C Though it does happen when there are storms, as well.

Here the pole transformer in the back yard serves four homes. When
the neighbour's a/c kicks on our lights dim for a fraction of a
second. (Our air probably causes their lights to dim too; never
thought to ask.) AFAIK it only affects the neighbours on the south,
not on the north.


C Do any of your neighbors have the same
C experiences?
C
C At least one does as I just found out. I'll ask around this
C weekend.

Ever have a pole transforer fuse blow? Just had a too-inquisitive
squirrel find out it's not good to play on the transformer. (BOOM!
UPSs kick in.) The south neighbour also looses power but the north
neighbour continues to have power (they're on the next transformer).
Not sure if the backyward neighbours continue to have power or not.


============þ==================þ==========
South Us North Next-over
Neighbour Neighbour Neighbour

=== = transmission line
þ = pole transformer


C What sort of major electric appliances do you have
C (Air conditioning, stove, water heater, etc.)?
C
C All electric home; no gas supply lines in the neighborhood, so all
C of the major appliances are electric. Nothing out of the ordinary.

A blown fuse or loose/open conection can do fun things. A 220v
appliance is hooked too both phases and possible to leak 120v from one
phase to another. You would probably notice "something funny" bacause
the lights, etc., would brighten or dim when the water heater was on
or when you dried clothes.


C The power company has instruments that can monitor the power
C coming into your home. You can try and demand that they set
C something up at your location. Otherwise, contact an
C electrician who can rent the instruments and connect it to your
C service. That might provide you with tangible evidence as to
C the cause.
C
C Thank you John. The new knowledge of at least one neighbor having
C the same problem brought up something discouraging. They had
C contacted the power company a while back (I forgot to ask how long
C ago) and were told that the underground wires probably needed
C replacing and they would wait until they "went". No good. I could
C have a fire or lose major appliances in the meantime. I'm going to
C follow up. But how? Have an electrician do what you wrote above and
C present that to the power company? First, I will call them myself
C and get them to come out and see what they say after a new

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