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  • Apr 28, 2014, 01:57 PM
    Laurarae
    Home electrical question
    Two weeks ago our lights started to dim momentarily repeatedly through the day... one week ago, we started losing our power for just a few seconds a few times a day... yesterday, we started losing power long enough for me to have to reset the clocks a couple of times... this morning, we lost our power for a half an hour... I thought it was not going to come back on... checked the fuse box and everything was fine... finally it came back on after a couple of quick lights going on and off for a few seconds... I have lost power repeatedly throughout the day... any ideas as to what to do or where to start?? Should I be concerned of safety with kids in the home?? Any help would be appreciated!!
  • Apr 28, 2014, 02:04 PM
    ma0641
    Is this on one circuit or the whole house? How do you know "everything was fine". Obviously something is not right. I would call your local power company to check the wires to the meter. If everything is OK, You should have an electrician look at the connections inside your breaker panel.
  • Apr 28, 2014, 02:10 PM
    Laurarae
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ma0641 View Post
    Is this on one circuit or the whole house? How do you know "everything was fine". Obviously something is not right. I would call your local power company to check the wires to the meter. If everything is OK, You should have an electrician look at the connections inside your breaker panel.
    This is the whole house and what I meant was that no fuses were tripped... I am unsure if I should be worried about a fire (with the fuses not being tripped) or what to do... I have no idea what could be causing it as it just started two weeks ago out of the blue...
  • Apr 28, 2014, 03:29 PM
    Studs ad
    I am going to try to help you understand a little of what is happening and then give you some advice. Below are some common causes for the problems you mentioned.

    1)lights dim when voltage decreases. Decreased voltages can occur on the power companies equipment when large loads are brought on line(turned on) These type of loads affect all customers that are supplied by the power companies system in a particular area. (you, your neighbors etc.) When this happens the power company switches in or out extra power to compensate for their loads. Lights get brighter or go dim based on what the power company has to deal with. It generally is of short duration, but a nuisance
    2)The power company may have some faulty equipment- bad connections or failing components that are causing the issues that they are having problems locating or finding solutions for.
    3)You may have problems with the power equipment that pertains only to your home. If this is the case it can still be a power company issue to the point where it attaches to your home- meter base. I have seen problems many times with poor utility connections to homes.
    4)problems in your meter base, or breaker panel(s). This is the one that concerns me the most and is the toughest to eliminate without doing electrical checks. If everything in your house is having issues, I suspect a loose neutral connection. If the same things, but not everything then I would suspect a power wire connection. I don't want to confuse you with jargon, but if either of these have a bad connection -at the meter or inside your home panel(s) you have cause for concern. (Some homes will experience a slight dimming of the lights when their air conditioner or electric furnace turns on, but is consistent and of short duration and is quite normal but not optimal) If you are sure that you are the only one having the problem you describe then I would get the appropriate people involved.
    I have seen bad connections in the meter base (which requires the utility to open and check the connections). This generally won't cost you unless there is damage and then the power company will require repair. Some utility companies will replace a bad meter and others will require you to get a licensed electrician to do it. If it is not there then have them or an electrician check your breaker panel(s). In most cases if the connection is loose enough to dim the lights then the wire or the connection will show signs of being hot. I have had a case where the main breaker was on, but one of the connections inside it was poor and I couldn't visually see the bad connection, but that is rare. Some electricians have thermo imaging cameras that can detect hot spots in the panels. You are getting into an area that can be expensive and maybe not necessary.
    What I would do:
    1)verify that it affects only your home- check with neighbors etc.
    2)call power provider and explain problem. They will probably send someone out
    3)If the power company checks its connections and meter base and everything is okay then call a reputable electrician to find the problem in your system.

    I don't want to scare you. Loose connections cause heat, heat can cause fire. If it is outside on the power companies equipment it might destroy something there, but you are probably safe. If it is in the confines of the home such as a breaker panel etc. then it can have more serious consequences. Don't open the inside covers on panels etc. -the cover that exposes the wiring in a panel) If there is a fault you are exposing yourself to a potentially life threatening situation and a trained professional with proper safety equipment is best. If you are extremely concerned turn everything in the home you can off until you are assured things are okay. The fewer things you have that are running the less heat that is generated by a bad connection if in fact there is a bad connection.

    Diagnoses from a distance is tricky at best and doesn't always include some items taken for granted by your description. I am offering this advice based on my years of experience, but also my limited view of the situation. I am doing this as a courtesy to help you and others like you. I have no way to know of how dangerous your situation is and hope that you will follow through with my suggestions as well as others who have offered sound advice. Sometimes professional help is least available to those who can least afford it, but your safety is most important. Good luck!
  • Apr 28, 2014, 03:41 PM
    Laurarae
    Thank you so much! I have a call into the power company and they are sending someone... no power for half an hour now... I was and am concerned about safety and you specifically addressed that so thank you soooo very much! Wish me luck!
  • Apr 28, 2014, 03:50 PM
    stanfortyman
    When this happens the only thing to do is call the power company. It would be rare for the problem to be on your side of things such as in the meter pan or main panel. When that is the case usually it only affects half the power.
  • Apr 28, 2014, 03:50 PM
    Studs ad
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Laurarae View Post
    Thank you so much! I have a call into the power company and they are sending someone... no power for half an hour now... I was and am concerned about safety and you specifically addressed that so thank you soooo very much! Wish me luck!
  • Apr 28, 2014, 03:53 PM
    stanfortyman
    A service neutral problem will not kill the power completely like the OP is experiencing. When the service neutral opens you will get a dimming and brightening of lights.
  • Apr 28, 2014, 04:08 PM
    Studs ad
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stanfortyman View Post
    A service neutral problem will not kill the power completely like the OP is experiencing. When the service neutral opens you will get a dimming and brightening of lights.
    That information was not available to me at the time I wrote my reply. Lost neutral connections can cause some of the symptoms originally expressed. Lost neutral, combined with improper grounding will wreak havoc to a 120/240 volt system. It will be interesting to see where the problem is. I have no idea of the integrity of her electrical system. If there is no neutral at all then the 120 volt items in her home will be exposed to somewhere between 120 and 240 VAC which would essentially blow out most the light bulbs. A loose connection on both phases is unlikely and points more to the service transformer or transformer line fuse. You are right in what you did say, I just barely finished my answer when she mentioned that she was totally without power which is why it is tough to troubleshoot without all the facts.
  • Apr 28, 2014, 06:15 PM
    stanfortyman
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Studs ad View Post
    Lost neutral connections can cause some of the symptoms originally expressed. Lost neutral, combined with improper grounding will wreak havoc to a 120/240 volt system.
    Yes. Fully agree.


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Studs ad View Post
    If there is no neutral at all then the 120 volt items in her home will be exposed to somewhere between 120 and 240 VAC which would essentially blow out most the light bulbs.
    Actually, it will expose the 120V loads to anywhere from 0 to 240V. This is why you'll see dimming and brightening of lights.

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