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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > January 2008 > Question about flickering lights in home.
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Question about flickering lights in home.
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| Three apartment home, two apt are on one panel, home is about 25 - 35
years old I think.
When washer is "washing" all the lights flicker, as if from the
inductance from the washer motor. Add a Kettle, & then hair dryer, the
lights dim quite a bit, with the flicker also present. Another friend
has the same problem, with a new washer, so it's not a bad washer. I'm
thinking bad main ground at the water pipe, on the buss bar ground in
the panel, or a loose contact in the outside meter. I haven't done any
measurements yet. Will I need an RMS meter, to see the "pulsing"? Or
will an oscilloscope let me see the fluctuations? Thanks, Dani.
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| Dean Hoffman 2008-01-20, 8:25 pm |
| Dani wrote:
> Three apartment home, two apt are on one panel, home is about 25 - 35
> years old I think.
> When washer is "washing" all the lights flicker, as if from the
> inductance from the washer motor. Add a Kettle, & then hair dryer, the
> lights dim quite a bit, with the flicker also present. Another friend
> has the same problem, with a new washer, so it's not a bad washer. I'm
> thinking bad main ground at the water pipe, on the buss bar ground in
> the panel, or a loose contact in the outside meter. I haven't done any
> measurements yet. Will I need an RMS meter, to see the "pulsing"? Or
> will an oscilloscope let me see the fluctuations? Thanks, Dani.
Maybe something simple like a screwdriver will fix the problem.
You might have a loose neutral (grounded conductor) wire somewhere.
Dean
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| Long Ranger 2008-01-21, 3:25 am |
|
"Dani" <greeben@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:856eec0f-4eda-42a0-96dd-a15f9c3ef09a@c23g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Three apartment home, two apt are on one panel, home is about 25 - 35
> years old I think.
> When washer is "washing" all the lights flicker, as if from the
> inductance from the washer motor. Add a Kettle, & then hair dryer, the
> lights dim quite a bit, with the flicker also present. Another friend
> has the same problem, with a new washer, so it's not a bad washer. I'm
> thinking bad main ground at the water pipe, on the buss bar ground in
> the panel, or a loose contact in the outside meter. I haven't done any
> measurements yet. Will I need an RMS meter, to see the "pulsing"? Or
> will an oscilloscope let me see the fluctuations? Thanks, Dani.
If I understand you correctly, the trouble affects two residences off the
same service in the same way at the same time? If so, go over all the
connections where your loads become common, and have the utility company
check back to their transformer. It is almost certainly a bad joint, or
joints somewhere.
| |
| phil-news-nospam@ipal.net 2008-01-21, 9:25 am |
| On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:05:57 -0600 Dean Hoffman <""dh0496\"@ine$br#as&ka.com"> wrote:
| Dani wrote:
|> Three apartment home, two apt are on one panel, home is about 25 - 35
|> years old I think.
|> When washer is "washing" all the lights flicker, as if from the
|> inductance from the washer motor. Add a Kettle, & then hair dryer, the
|> lights dim quite a bit, with the flicker also present. Another friend
|> has the same problem, with a new washer, so it's not a bad washer. I'm
|> thinking bad main ground at the water pipe, on the buss bar ground in
|> the panel, or a loose contact in the outside meter. I haven't done any
|> measurements yet. Will I need an RMS meter, to see the "pulsing"? Or
|> will an oscilloscope let me see the fluctuations? Thanks, Dani.
|
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| Maybe something simple like a screwdriver will fix the problem.
| You might have a loose neutral (grounded conductor) wire somewhere.
Someone who doesn't consider there could be a loose connection, especially
a loose neutral, in this situation, should not be using a screwdriver near
electricity.
--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / spamtrap-2008-01-21-0839@ipal.net |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|
| |
| Don Kelly 2008-01-22, 8:25 pm |
| ----------------------------
"Long Ranger" <lorpkins@earthlink .net> wrote in message
news:SbGdnSDVCKa1tgnanZ2dnUVZ_uOmnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
> "Dani" <greeben@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:856eec0f-4eda-42a0-96dd-a15f9c3ef09a@c23g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
>
> If I understand you correctly, the trouble affects two residences off the
> same service in the same way at the same time? If so, go over all the
> connections where your loads become common, and have the utility company
> check back to their transformer. It is almost certainly a bad joint, or
> joints somewhere.
>
It isn't inductance. Any AC multimeter will be usable. Check the voltage
on different circuits. You may have a bad neutral connection and load on
one leg of the 120/240 supply can draw the voltage down on that leg, raising
it on the other leg. The washer probably has a pulsating load as it reverses
the impeller and this would cause flicker. Let us know what voltages you
are getting on different circuits and how switching loads on and off affect
the voltages. This may help determine the problem. Also check between an
outlet (both "neutral" and hot") to a known ground connection- often a
waterpipe or the point where the main supply is grounded.
If you are not comfortable with doing this and lack any experience, pay an
electrician to check. term Savings don't help widows in this case.
--
Don Kelly dhky@shawcross.ca
remove the X to answer
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| From: greeben@gmail.com (Dani)
Three apartment home, two apt are on one panel, home is about 25 - 35
years old I think.
When washer is "washing" all the lights flicker, as if from the
inductance from the washer motor. Add a Kettle, & then hair dryer, the
lights dim quite a bit, with the flicker also present. Another friend
has the same problem, with a new washer, so it's not a bad washer. I'm
thinking bad main ground at the water pipe, on the buss bar ground in
the panel, or a loose contact in the outside meter. I haven't done any
measurements yet. Will I need an RMS meter, to see the "pulsing"? Or
will an oscilloscope let me see the fluctuations? Thanks, Dani.
------------------------
A friend of a friend recently had a new water heater installed., she
went wild when her bedroom lights started flickering & her UPS started
making strange noises and blamed the plumber, it toally bummed them both
out., she disconnected everything...I was in town vacationing & an old
school chum of mine related the trouble to me., so I checked it out &
found a lose connection in the Circuit Breaker Panel., Fortunately I
actually heard the arcing [electrical crackling] the minute I opened the
panel., so I eliminated a splice on the 220vac [to the heater outleet]
that was wired capped to a small length of wire & connected it directly
to the breaker after I moved it to a lower slot - I also went over every
screw in the box & tightened at least 3 loose terminals., no more
flickering.
Hopefully your problem isn't much more than this ...... as stated in the
NEC make sure you use an insulated shaft screwdriver when doing live
panel work.
Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
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| Roy wrote:
<snip>
>
> Hopefully your problem isn't much more than this ...... as stated in the
> NEC make sure you use an insulated shaft screwdriver when doing live
> panel work.
>
Where in the NEC does it say that?
Ed
> Roy Q.T.
> Urban Technician
> [I don't make em, I just fix em]
>
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| **THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** 2008-01-23, 8:25 pm |
|
ehsjr wrote:
> Roy wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>
> Where in the NEC does it say that?
>
> Ed
>
>
In the obituaries??
--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©
"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."
"Follow The Money" ;-P
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| From: rhyolite@nettally.com (**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY**)
ehsjr wrote:
Roy wrote:
<snip>
Hopefully your problem isn't much more than this ...... as stated in the
NEC make sure you use an insulated shaft screwdriver when doing live
panel work.
----------
Where in the NEC does it say that?
Ed
-------
In the obituaries??
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"=A9
"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? For if it prosper, none
dare call it treason."
"Follow The Money" ;-P
--------
Who gives a fuck - look it up yourself if it matters that much to
you.The point is not to poke around carelessly when tightening screws in
a live panel..... otherwise you could damage a perfectly good regular
screwdriver.. what nit wit asks "Where in the NEC does it say that?"
The question is about "flickering lights at home"
The award of for "Idiotic Question of The Day" goes to Ed.
Joe gets 2nd place in the "Dumb XXX Question" catagory.....using a non
insulated shaft driver won't land him in the obits, hopefully -
Should I've advised him to wet his nads & feet and use a regular
screwdriver when tightening up the terminals ??? I don't think so.
You 2 can go bust your grandpapies balls,
not mine...
Roy
| |
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| Roy wrote:
> From: rhyolite@nettally.com (**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY**)
> ehsjr wrote:
> Roy wrote:
> <snip>
> Hopefully your problem isn't much more than this ...... as stated in the
> NEC make sure you use an insulated shaft screwdriver when doing live
> panel work.
> ----------
> Where in the NEC does it say that?
> Ed
> -------
> In the obituaries??
>
> Joe Leikhim K4SAT
> "The RFI-EMI-GUY"©
> "Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? For if it prosper, none
> dare call it treason."
> "Follow The Money" ;-P
> --------
> Who gives a fuck - look it up yourself if it matters that much to
> you.The point is not to poke around carelessly when tightening screws in
> a live panel..... otherwise you could damage a perfectly good regular
> screwdriver.. what nit wit asks "Where in the NEC does it say that?"
> The question is about "flickering lights at home"
>
> The award of for "Idiotic Question of The Day" goes to Ed.
>
> Joe gets 2nd place in the "Dumb XXX Question" catagory.....using a non
> insulated shaft driver won't land him in the obits, hopefully -
>
> Should I've advised him to wet his nads & feet and use a regular
> screwdriver when tightening up the terminals ??? I don't think so.
>
> You 2 can go bust your grandpapies balls,
> not mine...
>
> Roy
>
So you go ballistic, spouting profanity and labeling
people as nit wits because you were asked a simple
and civil question? Wow. Sorry to see that response.
Ed
| |
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| ehsjr wrote:
> Roy wrote:
>
> So you go ballistic, spouting profanity and labeling
> people as nit wits because you were asked a simple
> and civil question? Wow. Sorry to see that response.
>
..
The award of for "Idiotic Answer of The Day" goes to....Roy. What a
surprise. I believe Roy also has the Lifetime Achievement award for
idiotic answers. Keep up the good work Roy.
(Charles, I am so disappointed.)
--
bud--
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| Michael A. Terrell 2008-01-25, 5:25 pm |
| bud-- wrote:
>
> ehsjr wrote:
> .
> The award of for "Idiotic Answer of The Day" goes to....Roy. What a
> surprise. I believe Roy also has the Lifetime Achievement award for
> idiotic answers. Keep up the good work Roy.
>
> (Charles, I am so disappointed.)
>
> --
> bud--
So, I take it that you haven't run into dimbulb yet?
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
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