| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 4:30:08 PM (updated 11/20/2012 5:13:17 PM)
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Actually just acting weird.
I have a flourescent light fixture in a closet that has started faintly glowing intermittently when turned off. When that happens a 3 way flourescent ceiling light in another room won't turn on - just give me a teaser blip and then goes back off. When the closet light is not glowing the 3 way works just fine and the closet light works fine.
The 3 way and the closet light are not on the same circuit. I used a circuit tester to check all the outlets and I found another circuit that has the hot and neutral reversed. That outlet is dedicated and has only the washer on it plus a small humidifier and a 12V transformer that charges a small appliance.
Question is will Georgia beat Alabama for the SEC Championship? HAHA just kidding...
One other thing all 3 are on the same side of the 220 electrical main.
What is going on here? I suspect that somehow current is leaking back into the neutral on that side of the main but I have no idea where unless it's in the dedicated washer outlet????
Sherlock D'Voltaire what do you say?
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 4:54:56 PM
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Well, all you have to do is reverse hot and neutral once and you have put energy in a lot of places where it doesn't belong. How are your power bills?
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 4:55:51 PM (updated 11/20/2012 5:01:24 PM)
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Let's see. It is alittle difficult to follow but after reading it 3 times I have concluded you problem is quite simple. That's what you get for voting for Romney. It is called personal responsibility. My circuits are all working but then I voted for Obama.
I guess the winner will play ND for all the marbles.
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 5:00:53 PM
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I have a gizmo for checking a circuit that you plug in and depending on combination of bulbs that light you can determine if the circuit is wired correctly or reversed. I would check all circuits and correct any not correct. Hodgie is on target.
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| Name: |
Summer Lover
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| Subject: |
I was thinking
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Date:
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11/20/2012 5:12:28 PM
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That the light in the closet is a Dumbocrat (kinda dim), and that the other is a Republicant (works until the electron redistribution ticks it off)...
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 5:26:20 PM
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They average about $180 year round -Total electric. I guess you are corrrect but since it's a dedicated outlet wouldn't that keep it from running amok? It's only feeding the washer which may be agnostic about which side is hot and which is not.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
LOL!
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Date:
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11/20/2012 5:27:31 PM
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/20/2012 5:30:46 PM (updated 11/20/2012 6:02:21 PM)
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If indeed that is the only outlet on that circuit you should be OK All you will do is change the phase by 180 degrees, and the washer just doesn't care. Now if you were to touch the new neutral and ground together you'd be resetting your breaker Would be feeding 110 directly to ground....exciting and sometimes colorful, but not advised. .
I had a circuit at my cabin that was hot no matter what I did. No telling what those folks lashed together - wrong.
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| Name: |
Beekeeper Tony
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| Subject: |
Troubleshoot
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Date:
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11/20/2012 6:19:49 PM (updated 11/20/2012 6:22:02 PM)
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I couldnt exactly follow the symptoms but, I would turn one breaker off at a time checking to see if any changes take place. If so, you have isolated the problem to one circuit and can go from there. Dont forget to turn 220 volt breakers off also during your test because it could be a 220 appliance going bad such as water heater elements or sometime going to ground which not in every case pops a breaker.
Being on the same side of the breaker box does not put them on the same pahse/leg. Every other space is the same phase/leg in a panel.
Hope this starts you on the way to resolving the issues.
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Troubleshoot
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Date:
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11/20/2012 9:39:51 PM
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Had a dishwasher that wouldn't work some time back. Really puzzling, because a meter said voltage (although a bit low) was present. Turns out the breaker had been arcing for some time.....contacts were eaten away, but not so eaten that they wouldn't let the voltage through. Plenty voltage, but no current. New breaker solved the problem.
Learned all about service boxes about 5-7 years ago at our cabin when a tree fell across my power lines and ripped the entire service box from the outside wall. Fun time (although the time under the cabin wasn't) rebuilding everything.
Follow simple rules and pay attention to detail if you play with house wiring, and undertand the relationship of wire gauge to amount of current running through those same wires.
If in ANY doubt pay the piper and hire an electrician.
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| Name: |
NautiqueFrk
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/21/2012 5:39:23 AM
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I would call Alabama Power and have them come out and check your service coming to the house. There is a good chance you have lost your neutral at the the sevice conection to the meter, this would cause these strange things to happen.
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| Name: |
greycove
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/21/2012 11:47:27 AM
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Flourescent bulbs come in two varieties...one that can be used with a light dimmer and one that cannot. Don't know if this might be related, but I ruined several bulbs before I read the small print telling me that it could only be used in non-dimmer situations.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/21/2012 1:33:49 PM
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Now there's one I haven't thought of. Thanks.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fluctuating Electrical Current
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Date:
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11/21/2012 1:34:56 PM
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No one is a flourescent fixture and the other is a flourescent bulb screwed into a socket. Not dimmable. But good idea thanks.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fixed the outlet
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Date:
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11/21/2012 1:41:42 PM
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that had the hot and neutral reversed. Plugged everything back up. I guess I'll see if that was it. Still weird. I guess I'll see.
Talked to al old buddy of mine and he told the story of a heat pump that wouldn't heat and weirder still when the thermostat was turned to make the heat kick in the kitchen light came on. Turned out the contactor had been improperly wired and was hot on one side and neutral on the other. I guess the kitchen light found the ground somehow ansd lit up when the thermostat engaged the contactors. No heat of course since the compressor wouldn't run on 110. Someone ought to write a book on this stuff.
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Fixed the outlet
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Date:
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11/21/2012 3:04:38 PM
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The book is called CODE. I am not an electrician but have wired new circuit boxes and basements, garages, and use those books you buy at Home Depot and ask questions. The biggest problem is for a lay person to fix a problem like you are having. Much more difficult than new wiring.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Fixed the outlet
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Date:
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11/21/2012 4:55:36 PM
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Code? I haven't noticed any code here. Don't know about Alex City. I have really see some weird stuff. We need not just permitting but inspections too.
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