Reply With Quotewhats wrong ? maybe i can help
So I'm playing with the household circuit breakers and electrical panel trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my lighting. Did you know that after so many times of being electricuted, you begin to have a sulphur/ coppery taste in your mouth. :220v:
whats wrong ? maybe i can help
Lights flickering all over the house. One room dims, another gets brighter. This happens all over the house. I'm thinking I have it narrowed down to the breaker box. For some reason, I have 4 circuits (20A) on the buss bar that have no power at the bar. But the 4 above and the 4 below do. Also, one of the 30A that power the dryer has power, the other doesn't. This is a Federal box. I haven't heard anything great about them This just happened today after hitting start on the microwave. Dimming all over the kitchen and the dining room too, to the point of shutting down the computer. Almost flickering. The breakers didn't trip, but after about 15 minutes, the power came on for a second, then out.
Be very careful. Geez Ask Boy Named Sue about his electrical shock. :frown:
My opinion is, and I am not an electrician, is that you may have the same thing going on I had... corrosion on your bus bar. The aluminum contacts in the breakers get corroded when they are in contact with the steel or copper bus bar, and you get a terrible connection. Happened to me in my house.
New bus bar, some new breakers later I am good to go. I sealed it better this time.
Wes
If they are older they might be bad, when they go bad they will be loose and rattle causing the flickering you are describing. They are easy to test if you have a meter. They might be trying to trip and cant for some reason, ive seen it before.It might be the wires are just loose on the breaker also, that happens more often than we would think. With the main off and a good rubber handled screwdriver, use one hand to try tightening them, keeping your other hand free will keep you from getting hung up on the current if you get shocked and it will allow you to be able to pull away.
Forgive me if i am telling you something you dont already know. You sound like you have a good handle on it (except for the getting shocked part lol )
My opinion is, and I am not an electrician, is that you may have the same thing going on I had... corrosion on your bus bar. The aluminum contacts in the breakers get corroded when they are in contact with the steel or copper bus bar, and you get a terrible connection. Happened to me in my house.
New bus bar, some new breakers later I am good to go. I sealed it better this time.
Wes
That can and will happen but most of the newer stuff is all copper now a days, if its aluminum use nolox on the connections (or a good grease) to keep the connection from corroding
Bill, check the voltage to ground(and neutral) all the way back to your meter box. Sounds like you have a ground problem. Maybe a loose ground on the power company side even. Have seen this happen before. A bad ground will give you fits trying to figure it out.
So I'm playing with the household circuit breakers and electrical panel trying to figure out what the hell is going on with my lighting. Did you know that after so many times of being electricuted, you begin to have a sulphur/ coppery taste in your mouth. :220v:
You have probably lost a mains neutral Bill. It can be bad in the box or at the pole, but i suspect in the box. general wiring diagram (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu...ic/hsehld.html)
when you loose a mains neutral, one 120volt leg gets more or less volts than the other one.
You have probably lost a mains neutral Bill. It can be bad in the box or at the pole, but i suspect in the box. general wiring diagram (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu...ic/hsehld.html)
when you loose a mains neutral, one 120volt leg gets more or less volts than the other one.
thats exactly what i thinking as i read this.
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