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Old 05-11-2015, 01:54 AM
 
3 posts, read 3,403 times
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Im having issues with the electrical in my house. More and more plugs stop working suddenly. The breakers never pop. Lights keep popping as soon as you turn them on as well.
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:04 AM
 
4,690 posts, read 10,342,122 times
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For this level of issue, if you have to ask you should be calling an electrician.
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:10 AM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,696,674 times
Reputation: 41861
Yep, and get one out there quickly, before you burn the house down ! Your electrical system is trying to tell you something.

Don
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:54 AM
 
28,563 posts, read 18,570,253 times
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Breakers never throwing, yet receptacles not working? When you say "lights popping," I presume you mean you're turning on lights and the bulbs are blowing out "with vigor." Or maybe you mean you hear a popping sound in the switch when you turn them on.

That all sounds like something you want an electrician to check out.
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Old 05-11-2015, 10:14 AM
 
3 posts, read 3,403 times
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I would if I could afford it that's my problem. I was hopping someone could help me figure out where to start looking.
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Old 05-11-2015, 11:32 AM
 
4,690 posts, read 10,342,122 times
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I guarantee that paying for an electrician will be cheaper than losing everything due to a fire.

The thing is, even a professional electrician, if there's one on this forum (I don't think I've ever seen anyone admit to it), is going to tell you they can only GUESS and that you'd be playing with your own life as well as your property if they were to give you advice on troubleshooting and you didn't know well enough to take the correct safety precautions... or thought they sounded dumb, or... you "couldn't afford" them....

Meanwhile, those of us who do see your post and might have some electrical experience are either going to be in the same boat as above.. not willing to help you for fear that you'll kill yourself, set your property on fire or both, or they aren't going to be able to help.

I know a fair bit about electrical, enough that I've wired buildings and had them pass inspection, and I couldn't tell you. Well, I could make guesses... but guesses that need to be Tested.



I absolutely can't stress this enough, if you're having to ask this question (with such minimal detail), you do NOT have the training and skill necessary to resolve it yourself. I refuse to believe you don't have $100, or can't beg/borrow/steal it. That's how much it cost me the last time I had an electrician make a house call (flat hour rate). They may not Fix the issue for that cost, but they will troublshoot it and let you know the risks you're assuming.


Is my urgency and desire for you to NOT lose life or property coming through these words? No? Wake up, stop being dumb about this. If you can't afford an electrician, how are you going to afford to replace the roof over your head and all of your possessions? Do you even have property insurance... someone who can't "afford" an electrician probably doesn't so then REALLY where's the money going to come from? Is your life so meaningless that you want to throw it away? If so, call a suicide hotline (Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org! Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org! Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org!) ~ please.
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Old 05-11-2015, 12:05 PM
 
4,761 posts, read 14,214,799 times
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Call the electric company and ask them to come out and "re-torque" your main electrical connections. Tell them you suspect you have a loose neutral main wire. They may do this for free - common for main connections to come loose.

With a loose neutral, a light bulb or electric outlet can get 240 volts on it instead of 120 volts!!!!

Best to turn off your main breaker and not use anything electric until this issue is resolved.

Note: This problem typically occurs because people do not properly install the main high amperage wires. Anti-oxidation goop must be applied to the connection (if aluminum wire) and a torque wrench used to tighten these connections to the tightness as specified in "inch pounds" on the panel label! Too loose and these high amperage connections will get warm/hot - then cool, then hot/cool - they work themselves loose. DO NOT TOUCH THEM TO SEE IF THE CONNECTION IS WARM - POWER IS HOT AT ALL TIMES ON THESE CONNECTIONS!!!
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Old 05-11-2015, 07:48 PM
 
Location: Riverside Ca
22,146 posts, read 33,215,981 times
Reputation: 35433
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian_M View Post
I guarantee that paying for an electrician will be cheaper than losing everything due to a fire.

The thing is, even a professional electrician, if there's one on this forum (I don't think I've ever seen anyone admit to it), is going to tell you they can only GUESS and that you'd be playing with your own life as well as your property if they were to give you advice on troubleshooting and you didn't know well enough to take the correct safety precautions... or thought they sounded dumb, or... you "couldn't afford" them....

Meanwhile, those of us who do see your post and might have some electrical experience are either going to be in the same boat as above.. not willing to help you for fear that you'll kill yourself, set your property on fire or both, or they aren't going to be able to help.

I know a fair bit about electrical, enough that I've wired buildings and had them pass inspection, and I couldn't tell you. Well, I could make guesses... but guesses that need to be Tested.



I absolutely can't stress this enough, if you're having to ask this question (with such minimal detail), you do NOT have the training and skill necessary to resolve it yourself. I refuse to believe you don't have $100, or can't beg/borrow/steal it. That's how much it cost me the last time I had an electrician make a house call (flat hour rate). They may not Fix the issue for that cost, but they will troublshoot it and let you know the risks you're assuming.


Is my urgency and desire for you to NOT lose life or property coming through these words? No? Wake up, stop being dumb about this. If you can't afford an electrician, how are you going to afford to replace the roof over your head and all of your possessions? Do you even have property insurance... someone who can't "afford" an electrician probably doesn't so then REALLY where's the money going to come from? Is your life so meaningless that you want to throw it away? If so, call a suicide hotline (Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org! Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org! Suicide Hotlines - Suicide.org!) ~ please.

Nobody can give a definite answer as to what the problem is. It could be loose hot or neutral wiring. A bad switch. A out of phase circuit. A light short to ground where it eont trip the breaker. Could be the breakers are do okd they won't pop.
I could write a whole book in what to look for. But without being there I can't give a definite answer.

But I do agree call a electrician. The problem is the troubkeshooting can get really involved. And it can cost a bit of cash.
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Old 05-13-2015, 12:59 AM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,391,831 times
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1. My brother called me out for the same problem the week he bought his 1980 home...

It was a quick fix... for whatever reason, a number of lugs were loose in the sub panel...

I turned off the main and checked each connection in the sub and tightened the ones that were loose.

It's been several years and no more problems...


2. At another home that I had as a rental... my tenant complained of always having to flip the kitchen breaker... well, she complained the power was out in the kitchen and then I learned of flipping the breaker.

She had a crock pot, electric skillet and rice cooker on the same power strip with a micro wave...

The breaker simply turned to toast inside... it was worn out from constant overheating... I replaced it and told her she can't have everything plugged into one outlet and showed her there were other circuits in the kitchen... problem solved.

3. One more... at a friends house... half the house was dead... very strange... as we were out in the driveway... his neighbor asked if we had any room in the freezer... his freezer died... turned out a bad connection on the utility pole serving both homes was open... so the entire problem was with the utility....
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Old 05-13-2015, 12:04 PM
 
8,073 posts, read 9,990,476 times
Reputation: 22606
PLEASE call the utility company and ask them (BEG if you have to) to come out and check the situation.

If this is a breaker box, it will have a cover over the breakers and you cannot get to the lugs without removing the inside cover. Do NOT Take this cover off unless you know what you are doing. Do Not attempt to tighten the lugs under the cover unless you know what you are doing. Regardless of turning off the breakers, and the main, one side of that circuit is still going to be hot....likely 200 amps or more, and it will KILL YOU INSTANTLY if you touch the hot side.

Get it looked at today. Your intermittent service is building up heat somewhere, and that heat can cause fire, which can destroy your house, and YOU!~
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