We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!

I think you have a case of the new home owner jitters.

As long as the dimming remains "almost impercetable", and remains
confined to when large appliances are started, I wouldn't worry about
it.

Large appliances draw a lot of current, especially when starting,
resulting in the dimming you see.

wrote:
We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!



That's probably normal. It's when the lights get *brighter* (or dim
drasticly) when something kicks on that you need to investigate it.

Bob

On 21 Jan 2005 10:57:35 -0800, wrote:

We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!

So is it the Furnace or the A/C or both?
Bad motor, capacitor, loose wire connection or wire, old furnace,
failing compressor, inadequeate electric service to the home, etc. etc
Bubvba

Is the furnace on its own circuit, is panel 60 A? A furnace should pull
load at startup but not enough to dim other lights unless 60A is your
service. AC on the other hand pulls alot more. More info needed.

wrote:
We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!

Welcome to the world of 1960-70 homes. It sounds about normal. A large
dimming or any brightening is a sign to all the electrician. This is not.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:24:05 -0600, (m Ransley)
wrote:

Is the furnace on its own circuit, is panel 60 A? A furnace should pull
load at startup but not enough to dim other lights unless 60A is your
service. AC on the other hand pulls alot more. More info needed.

Obviously you've never seen an old belt drive blower motor with a bad
start winding. What exactly do you do because it sure isnt this.
Bubba

wrote in message
oups.com...
We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!

This is Turtle.

First you did not give enough data to even start to see or get a guess at it.
Here is what you need to give.

1) Is the dimming happening during cooling mode ? Heating mode ? during both
modes ?

2) Is the furnace a gas , Propane, All Electric , Gas furnace and Heat Pump
Combo, or heat pump only type heat with back up electric heat ?

3) Do you live in a very far out of town area ? Or in a city ? Or in a Big
City ?

4) How Bad do the lights blink as 1/10 of a second or more that a full second
?

5) What is the name of the Home warranty you have ?

TURTLE

Well bubbaass I sure dont do hvac, but I sure enough know more than you
on boilers even though you say your a pro, Im just a H. O.
I think you are a rude trailer hack, wood stove crack, but no HVAC pro.
Just a looser to go

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 05:36:13 -0600, (m Ransley)
wrote:

Well bubbaass I sure dont do hvac, but I sure enough know more than you
on boilers even though you say your a pro, Im just a H. O.
I think you are a rude trailer hack, wood stove crack, but no HVAC pro.
Just a looser to go

Actually its what you THINK you know and what you THINK you know I
could put onto the head of a pin. Thats why you are a webtv pinhead
living in a trailer. You arent even a wannabe hack. You're just
pathetic. Now go wipe that drool off your chin, get off that dog and
quit french kissing your sister, boy.
Bubba

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Well bubbaass I sure dont do hvac, but I sure enough know more than you
on boilers even though you say your a pro, Im just a H. O.
I think you are a rude trailer hack, wood stove crack, but no HVAC pro.
Just a looser to go


This is Turtle.

When did I change my name to Bubba ? I'm Turtle.

TURTLE

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 01:19:15 -0600, "TURTLE"
wrote:


"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Well bubbaass I sure dont do hvac, but I sure enough know more than you
on boilers even though you say your a pro, Im just a H. O.
I think you are a rude trailer hack, wood stove crack, but no HVAC pro.
Just a looser to go


This is Turtle.

When did I change my name to Bubba ? I'm Turtle.

TURTLE


Dont mind the webtv boy. He's just not been right since the lobotomy.
He seems to think that a Weil-Mclain installation manual is gospel,
cant seem to interpret between the lines and thinks he is a ho****er
and steam boiler genius. Hes just a wannabe. Always has been, always
will be.
Bubba

wrote in message
oups.com...
We've only been in our house (30 year old home) for a few months. We
can tell whenever the AC or furnace kicks on because there's an almost
imperceptible dimming of the lights. Can someone explain the possible
reason(s) for this? We have a home warranty and if this is something
serious then we'd like to have it addressed quickly.

Thanks!


A few suggestions here.

1 Now being able to see the amount of dimming there is no way of telling
if you have a problem over the net
2. There are three things that can cause this that I know about, maybe
four
3 You have to think of the wire in your home as water pipes to help
understand what I'm going to tell you

A If there is something wrong with the AC this could cause this problem,
to much power required to start a tight compressor
B If there is a loose wire this could cause this problem, causing high
amp draw, think of a valve downstream of the main.
C A bad electrical panel
D Corroded wires at the pole or mast.

I have seen two jobs that were serious in nature and a dozen that weren't.
Older homes had smaller electrical entrances and that is like smaller water
pipes, your only going to get so much water through a small pipe. The same
is with wire, only so much power and if you have a lot going on and the AC
starts your lights will dim for a second. This is normal but not desired,
but not necessarily dangerous by any means.

I have seen a homes lights dim when a belt drive 1/4 hp motor started on the
furnace, ALL the lights dimmed. I knew then that the wire (think of a pipe)
somewhere at the box supply entrance to the utility pole outside had to have
problems. Told them I would not put a furnace or AC in until its repaired.
They called an electrician out and he said I was crazy. Called another and
they didn't think there was any problem. I still refused and the homeowner
called the utility guy out. Here the wires connect at the mast, (wires
outside the house connected to utility wires) were completely corroded and
ready to fail! The utility company replaced the wires from the street to
the home and solved the problem. This could have caused the home to burn
down

The other major problem was corrosion INSIDE the main electrical panel
itself. Once again and electrician didn't think there was any problems. I
used my inferred thermometer and found one circuit dangerously hot!! The
buss inside the panel was corroded on one breaker. Changed the breaker box
out and problem was solved.

So, you may not have a problem and yet again this may be an indication of
major problems in the future.

Hope this helps
Rich

"Bubba" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 01:19:15 -0600, "TURTLE"
wrote:


"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Well bubbaass I sure dont do hvac, but I sure enough know more than you
on boilers even though you say your a pro, Im just a H. O.
I think you are a rude trailer hack, wood stove crack, but no HVAC pro.
Just a looser to go


This is Turtle.

When did I change my name to Bubba ? I'm Turtle.

TURTLE


Dont mind the webtv boy. He's just not been right since the lobotomy.
He seems to think that a Weil-Mclain installation manual is gospel,
cant seem to interpret between the lines and thinks he is a ho****er
and steam boiler genius. Hes just a wannabe. Always has been, always
will be.
Bubba

This is Turtle.

Hey why don't you two take a evening off and think up some good insults to use
and start over tomorrow morning with a fresh mine and you can fire the freshly
thought up insults at each other and really do a much better job at it. A
freshly Planned out attack is always better that a off the cuff attack.

TURTLE

In article ,
geoman wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...
...
The other major problem was corrosion INSIDE the main electrical panel
itself. Once again and electrician didn't think there was any problems. I
used my inferred thermometer and found one circuit dangerously hot!! The
--------------------

What's that, an "inferred thermometer"?


buss inside the panel was corroded on one breaker. Changed the breaker box
out and problem was solved.

So, you may not have a problem and yet again this may be an indication of
major problems in the future.

Hope this helps
Rich



Thanks,

David

The other major problem was corrosion INSIDE the main electrical panel
itself. Once again and electrician didn't think there was any problems. I
used my inferred thermometer and found one circuit dangerously hot!! The
--------------------

What's that, an "inferred thermometer"?


The guy can not spell any beter than I can.

infrared thermometer

http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/infraredthermometer.html

If you really want to know.

They pick up heat without touching anything.