Any electrician's out there? HELP!

[Aimros]

The lights/appliances in our house have been periodically "dimming" for the past few days, quite frequently. I called the power company tonight and they are sending a truck out to check our outside wires within 24 hours. The woman I talked to was very alarmed, saying I need to shut off the breaker box. I did some reading online and it looks like it could be a whole number of problems. I'm a bit freaked out that a fire might start. The annoying thing is when the power company comes, they don't tell you if they fixed anything, you have to call back 24 hours after they come to get their report. The woman at the electric company I spoke to said that I would notice if they fixed something outside if the lights stopped dimming - but if I turn off the breaker box how will I notice that ? I have a bit of anxiety and get really worked up about this kind of thing... especially since DFi stays so calm and says not to worry. I guess we should probably call an electrician, but I'm going away tomorrow night and am worried something may happen while I'm gone. Any help? TIA!

 

[suzimar57]

my DH is an electrician - here's what he has to say:

could be a loose connection where the wire comes into your house

could also be a bad transformer on the pole outside

or you're experiencing a "brown-out" where the power company cuts the voltage to keep the grid from overloading

the circuit breaker will "trip" if there's a problem, so you shouldn't have to worry, unless you have a federal pacific panel - they're known for not working

good luck - that will be $75! (just kidding...)

 

[Aimros]

my DH is an electrician - here's what he has to say:

could be a loose connection where the wire comes into your house

could also be a bad transformer on the pole outside

or you're experiencing a "brown-out" where the power company cuts the voltage to keep the grid from overloading

the circuit breaker will "trip" if there's a problem, so you shouldn't have to worry, unless you have a federal pacific panel - they're known for not working

good luck - that will be $75! (just kidding...)

Thank you, that did make me feel a LITTLE better... although I'm scared to turn on any lights and DFi went out with friends so I'm home alone and being very irrational. I went downstairs to check what kind of panel we have but realized I don't even know where to look so that's no help, haha. We just moved in 2 months ago and had the house inspected, so if there is an electrical problem I'd be a little upset that the inspector didn't find it. It's annoying when the lights dim but its a little freaky when the central vac power goes low mid-vacuum or the dryer power goes load while drying clothes. Luckily DFi doesn't vacuum or do laundry so I won't have to worry about him using too many appliances while I'm gone

 

[happily single]

Could you be overloading the circut? I do that if I have the ac on in the living and with a lamp on, as soon as I turn the tv on the light dims. If I try to vacumm I blow a fuse!

Also, I'm not an electrican but i think the breaker box is the steel gray colored metal box. Most houses have them in the basement. I think the eletric company wanted you to shut all the power to your house off, including your fridge.

 

[Aimros]

Could you be overloading the circut? I do that if I have the ac on in the living and with a lamp on, as soon as I turn the tv on the light dims. If I try to vacumm I blow a fuse!

Also, I'm not an electrican but i think the breaker box is the steel gray colored metal box. Most houses have them in the basement. I think the eletric company wanted you to shut all the power to your house off, including your fridge.

I don't know about overloading the circuit... I have almost everything off in the house and I can still hear the fridge power waning. I know where the breaker box is but didn't want to turn everything off yet... I am waiting for the electric company to come (if they ever do) to see if that helps. ugh! it's always one thing right after another!

 

[GeorgeG]

For much of my 37 years with an electric utility, one of the departments I was in charge of was the trouble shooters who responded to such calls. I know companies don't all operate the same, but what you are describing is usually called "flickering lights" and if it's as bad as you say, the response should be quicker than 24 hours unless the are more pressing emergencies happening. The crew will check the transformer and all the connections between there and the house. If the wires run through trees, they will check for rubbing and wear from that. If you are home at the time, they should explain everything they found and repaired. If they find nothing wrong, they should advise you to get an electrician to check beyond (breaker panel, etc.). If you are not home when they respond, they may leave you a note or should at least report their findings to their dispatcher and that information would be available minutes (not 24 hours) after they leave.

If your lights are going dim and then brighter than normal, that would indicate an "open neutral," which could be anywhere from the transformer to the breaker panel. That is the one situation that would warrant turning the main breaker off until repairs are made. If none of the lights are going bright you should be okay leaving the breakers on.

In the meantime, check with your neighbors to see if any of them are having the same problem. That will be useful information when the trouble crew arrives.

 

[Aimros]

For much of my 37 years with an electric utility, one of the departments I was in charge of was the trouble shooters who responded to such calls. I know companies don't all operate the same, but what you are describing is usually called "flickering lights" and if it's as bad as you say, the response should be quicker than 24 hours unless the are more pressing emergencies happening. The crew will check the transformer and all the connections between there and the house. If the wires run through trees, they will check for rubbing and wear from that. If you are home at the time, they should explain everything they found and repaired. If they find nothing wrong, they should advise you to get an electrician to check beyond (breaker panel, etc.). If you are not home when they respond, they may leave you a note or should at least report their findings to their dispatcher and that information would be available minutes (not 24 hours) after they leave.

If your lights are going dim and then brighter than normal, that would indicate an "open neutral," which could be anywhere from the transformer to the breaker panel. That is the one situation that would warrant turning the main breaker off until repairs are made. If none of the lights are going bright you should be okay leaving the breakers on.

Thanks GeorgeG... I haven't noticed the lights getting brighter, just dimmer. I have been reading about this online and it has made me feel a little better, that at least it doesn't get brighter after dimmer... it just dims out and then returns to normal. I was a little taken back by the operator at the power companies response to turn everything off but then wait up to 48 hours until I should call back to see if they fixed anything (technically if they don't show up for 24 hours, thats tomorrow night, then I would have to wait another 24 hours to call back for the report). Im hoping they come tonight or tomorrow during the day as I will be working from home so at least I can speak to someone in person.

 

[Aimros]

UPDATE: power company just got here. Two really nice guys who seemed upset with the customer service end of things (I told them about the operator I spoke to, and they thought it was ridiculous they told me they wouldnt let me know what was going on). They are checking the meter and power lines now... told me they would let me know the situation when they are done. DFi just called and asked if I wanted him to bring me some ice cream home... I'm way too stressed out for ice cream!

 

[Aimros]

Well everything was good on the power companies side (unfortunately). Said we probably have a bad breaker and should call an electrician ASAP. I asked if we should turn the breaker off and he asked which one (I have no clue). He said the worst that will happen is it will over heat and kick itself off... I asked if the house would catch on fire and he said it was highly unlikely but we should get it checked out soon. UGH!

 

[GeorgeG]

Customer service reps very often go by a script so it doesn't surprise me they didn't really know what they were talking about, at least technically. It's also not unusual for the crews to get frustrated with them.

The crew gave you good advice. It could be as simple as a loose connection that can be corrected with a turn of a screw or you may need to replace a breaker. The worst-case situation would be extensive corrosion in the breaker panel requiring that the whole thing be replaced, but that would be in the case of an old panel and/or in a very damp location. My troubleshooters used to take a look and give the customers some idea of what to expect. Most of the time, if it was just a loose connection they'd be good guys and tighten it.

Back around 30-40 years ago aluminum wire was used to wire houses (it's not allowed now). Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper and connections loosen over time. If that's the case, the easiest solution is having an electrician "pig-tail" all the connections with copper and special connectors.