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    justincaseme's Avatar
    justincaseme Posts: 62, Reputation: 1
    Junior Member
    		  
    #1

    May 24, 2015, 11:20 AM
    Lights flicker (dim) when A/C Condenser starts
    Hey folks,

    I've noticed that my home's lights dim a bit when the Air Conditioner Condenser unit turns on. Functionally, this doesn't seem to be a problem but I'd like to understand why this is happening and if there's anything I can do about.

    I have a newer 200 amp panel and the condenser is on a dedicated 30 amp circuit.

    I don't know much about condensers so I'm not sure how to interpret the sticker on it in terms of size and energy requirements. Here's a photo of the label in case that helps.

    Name: 20150524_111134.jpg Views: 173 Size: 28.5 KBName: condenser.jpg Views: 377 Size: 67.0 KB
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
    Home Improvement & Construction Expert
    		  
    #2

    May 24, 2015, 04:27 PM
    Light dim because of a voltage drop when ac compressor kick on. With a 200 amp panel this should not happen. Could only happen because of a poor connection some where.

    my home's lights dim a bit when the Air Conditioner Condenser unit turns on.
    If that means all the lights in your home then the poor connection is probably at the main breaker and you need a qualified electrician. If it means one light circuit such as the living room or a bedroom circuit then the poor connection is probably at that breaker.
    justincaseme's Avatar
    justincaseme Posts: 62, Reputation: 1
    Junior Member
    		  
    #3

    May 26, 2015, 11:55 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by hkstroud View Post
    Light dim because of a voltage drop when ac compressor kick on. With a 200 amp panel this should not happen. Could only happen because of a poor connection some where.


    If that means all the lights in your home then the poor connection is probably at the main breaker and you need a qualified electrician. If it means one light circuit such as the living room or a bedroom circuit then the poor connection is probably at that breaker.
    Thanks. Visually the connections look okay. I may get a qualified electrician out to test, but if I wanted to try that myself do you have any tips for me? Could I do that with a regular voltmeter or would I need some special tooling?

    I can't help but wonder if less than 200amps are being provided off the power company's line to the panel in the first place.
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