I hope I explain this accurately enough for someone to advise me. When I'm watching tv sometimes it just turns off. The vcr/dvd and the cable box stays on. If I turn on the microwave, the lights will dim and the microwave will slow down. Then the tv will turn off and the refrigerator and digital display on the oven will go off and come back on. Once when I was using the microwave, I opened the refrigerator the hall light was on and it just popped and blew out. There are other things that has happened as well, but I hope this is enough to give you an idea of what's going on. These things happen a lot, but for some reason seems to get worse at night. I don't know what to do.

Thanks in advance for any information that will enlighten me!

ballengerb1

Open your panel and inspect each connection, especially the neutrals on the bar. I think you have some loose connections but only open the panel if you are familiar with how its wired and can do it safely.

Ondverg

I don't know how to inspect the connections. I don't know what the 'neutrals on the bar' means.

ballengerb1

No insult to your DIY skills but you would be safer to call a licensed electrician to handle this problem. The neutrals are the white wires returning to the panel. They each connect to a buss bar that looks like a heavy strip of aluminum with small holes for the wires. Each wire is tightly held by a screw into the bar. A screw may be loose or someone may have doubled up the wires in one hole againist code.

Ondverg

I'm not insulted at all. I appreciate any help I can get. I wrote down what you said and went out to check everything out and this is what I saw: At the top: red wire ont the right and left. In the middle: LEFT: empty MIDDLE: copper wire RIGHT: white wire. The word "LINE" is on the right and left side. Next I see FUSE: color is yellow/black w/W30amp (this one is on the left side). On the right side is a clear on that has a green/white label and has 125v on it. On the bottom: LEFT: black wire RIGHT: white wire. The word "LOAD" is on the right and left. I'm really good at following directions. If there is something that I can do on my own, please let me know. My funds are limited and I want to try to resolve this problem without having to call a professional if at all possible. I will definitely call one though before doing anything I'm not comfortable with. Thanks

tkrussell

While I am first to help DIY'ers, there are points in the system either you must not touch, and others out of your reach or jurisdiction.

Most likely, the problem connection is out of your range, for safety's sake.

This can be a difficult , more hidden, problem, and really requires a sharp troubleshooter to locate and repair. Best to have the utility there at the same time, normally they do not charge, to check their equipment and open the meter.

Ondverg

The electric company sent someone out and he checked the neutrals and tightened them up. He also came back and put a recording voltmeter on the meter. Since he tightened the neutrals, I haven't had a problem at all. Hopefully this resolved it. I do have one final question. A few days ago the switch to my garbage disposal stopped working and today the switch to my garage door stopped working (my garage door won't open electrically at all, from the wall mount or remote). What I thought was unusual is the switch immediately to its right, which is for my dining room, continues to work. All of this happened during the period everything was blinking, dimming or going out and coming back on. My son think that the microwave caused this to happen. It was plugged near the garbage disposal when it stopped working. This morning he stored it in the garage. I plugged it into an outlet in the garage a while later to reheat a cup of coffee. Later on when I got in my car to back out of the garage, it wouldn't open. This is when I found out that the switch/garage opener was no longer working. I'm not sure if the outlets going out is just a coincidence or not. I apologize if this is long winded, but I'm a detail oriented person and want to make sure I'm clear about what is happening. Thanks

p.s. It's 10:08pm central Monday & nothing has blinked or went out yet....

KeepItSimpleStupid

Before you jump to conclusions:

1. Look for a reset button on the garbage disposal and press it. It's usually red.

2. Cut power to the garage door opener for about 5 minutes and turn it back on again.

Ondverg

I found the reset button and pressed it. It still doesn't work. I also turned off the power to the garage door opener for apprx. 10 min & it still doesn't work. Also, my tv went off once today and the lights blinked some. I've decided to go ahead and take the advice of the online experts, ballinger and tk, and hire a licensed electrician as soon as my electric company remove the volt meter recorder. Thanks for all your help everyone. I do feel more educated as to what the possible problems might be.

ballengerb1

Please come back here and tell us what the pro finds to be your problem. I am starting to wonder about your feed from the power company pole.