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luci · Oct 28, 2006, 07:17 AM

The lights in my apartment dim and get very bright. It can happen anytime of the day, and just the other day my TV burned out, and my wireless modem, but they are in different rooms.
The complex said they would replace the breaker box in my apartment- will this help?

omzig · Oct 28, 2006, 07:39 AM

I'm not saying that this is necessarily your problem but, years ago something similar happened to me. Appliances started to fail, lights dimming and getting bright, etc. For the heck of it I checked my voltage with a meter and it was way too high (167V line-to-neutral). I called my utility company and they determined that it was a faulty transformer on the utility pole behind my house. After they replaced it, an electric company manager came out to my house to negotiate a settlement for damages, which included my furnace motor, washer and dryer, and TV. They were pro-rated, but I think that I actually came out ahead. I was surprised that they didn't make me fight for the compensation.

luci · Oct 28, 2006, 08:04 AM

Thanks- but would it help if the apartment complex changed out my breaker box? That was their suggestion

omzig · Oct 28, 2006, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by luci

thanks- but would it help if the apartment complex changed out my breaker box? That was their suggestion

I'm not sure. The thing that makes me wonder is that you said that the lights got "very bright." Do you mean brighter than normal? I don't think that a faulty electrical panel would cause this. Maybe someone else here, like tkrussell, could shed some more light on this (pun intended).

tkrussell · Oct 28, 2006, 11:05 AM

You definitely have the problem explained by omzig. Just changing the panel may not solve the problem, as it can be due to a loose connection out on the utility equipment. Or it can be due to a loose connection somewhere in the wiring in the home.

Need an electrician to come out and track down the problem before just replacing parts.

bhayne · Oct 30, 2006, 08:50 AM

If others in your apartment are not experiencing the same thing (and the manager would know) then it must be your breaker box.

Loose neutrals cause voltage spikes, bad breakers and loose power connection cause all sorts of electrical problems.

As a manager, I would not replace your breaker box if there was any possibility that the utility was at fault. Be glad that the manager is going to replace it.