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    mq_qasim's Avatar
    mq_qasim Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Mar 27, 2014, 02:15 PM
    Light goes and comes back from 1 bedroom and associated bathrooms
    Couple of bathrooms and 1 bedroom lights blinks and then goes out. Then it comes back it self sometimes whenever we turn one of the random lights in bathroom or room. Sometimes it comes back, other times it does not. I noticed whenever I go to main board and turn off/on a few times the circuit breaker (for this bedroom and bathrooms), the light comes back. I checked all the switches and outlets, everything is pretty tight. What could be the problem? It is just this breaker. We just bought this house and only added a couple of extra lights in the bathrooms.
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
     
    #2

    Mar 27, 2014, 02:17 PM
    Did you check the wires to the breaker itself?
    donf's Avatar
    donf Posts: 5,679, Reputation: 582
    Printers & Electronics Expert
     
    #3

    Mar 27, 2014, 04:16 PM
    Just for clarification, bathrooms require individual branch circuits. A bedroom or bedrooms have n business on the same branch circuit,
    HowHardCanItBe's Avatar
    HowHardCanItBe Posts: 46, Reputation: 2
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    #4

    Mar 27, 2014, 04:30 PM
    I've seen circuits going through receptacles that use stab-in type wire connections; they can become loose or even break off and still be barely making contact.
    hfcarson's Avatar
    hfcarson Posts: 1,003, Reputation: 49
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    #5

    Mar 28, 2014, 03:39 AM
    Please learn how to use a voltage meter or sensor... even the sensors that only need to be held closely to an energized conductor can provide valuable information.
    This kind of sensor is widely available and only about $10 to $15.
    You can use this to follow the voltage along a conductor or through a switch until it disappears... Aha that may be your problem.
    Okay, of course it may not be that simple but it is a far more productive thing to do than guessing at a problem and guessing at the solution.
    HowHardCanItBe's Avatar
    HowHardCanItBe Posts: 46, Reputation: 2
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    #6

    Mar 28, 2014, 07:42 AM
    I agree with hfcarson, this needs to be tracked down methodically. If you are not comfortable or simply don't have time, get some help. Loose connections can be tricky; they also create heat and can lead to bigger problems.
    mq_qasim's Avatar
    mq_qasim Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Mar 28, 2014, 08:18 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by ballengerb1 View Post
    Did you check the wires to the breaker itself?
    I did not open the breaker itself as I am not comfortable doing that. The confusing part is, the breaker when turned on/off few times (5-6 times) only bring the lights back in.

    Quote Originally Posted by hfcarson View Post
    Please learn how to use a voltage meter or sensor... even the sensors that only need to be held closely to an energized conductor can provide valuable information.
    This kind of sensor is widely available and only about $10 to $15.
    You can use this to follow the voltage along a conductor or through a switch until it disappears... Aha that may be your problem.
    Okay, of course it may not be that simple but it is a far more productive thing to do than guessing at a problem and guessing at the solution.
    I have not used a voltage meter before but I will try but my problem is I am not sure when the power is go out. It does occasionally but it does started happening more often. Could one of the older wires be broken somewhere along the way?

    Quote Originally Posted by donf View Post
    Just for clarification, bathrooms require individual branch circuits. A bedroom or bedrooms have n business on the same branch circuit,
    It is 2 bathrooms and one side of the bedroom (the wall which is adjacent to both bathrooms. The other side does have power. e.g. we have a walk in closet and it does have power.
    I checked the breaker is 20 amp.
    And I have
    Bathroom1 - 1 fan with light
    1 light bulb with 2 bulbs
    1 vanity light with 3 bulbs
    1 - GFCI outlet

    Bathroom2 - 1 fan with light
    1 light bulb with 2 bulbs
    1 - GFCI outlet
    1 vanity light with 3 bulbs

    Bedroom - 1 fan with 4 lights
    1 outlet

    Is the above too much for a 20 Amp? FYI.. I don't have all the bulbs lit up though. I removed some of the bulbs and kept 1 bulb in each to troubleshoot. I initially had the energy saver bulbs (14 W) and 60 W regular bulb in vanity and fan lights. I thought may be there is disparity and it is getting confused so I removed the 60 W bulbs

    Quote Originally Posted by HowHardCanItBe View Post
    I agree with hfcarson, this needs to be tracked down methodically. If you are not comfortable or simply don't have time, get some help. Loose connections can be tricky; they also create heat and can lead to bigger problems.
    Thanks. I wanted to get a feeling of it. I think I am going to get some help.
    I have turned the breaker off for safety.

    Quote Originally Posted by HowHardCanItBe View Post
    I've seen circuits going through receptacles that use stab-in type wire connections; they can become loose or even break off and still be barely making contact.
    I opened all the outlets and switches to make sure they are tight. A couple of them were loose and I tighten them and I thought it is fixed but it was not. The power went off again.
    smoothy's Avatar
    smoothy Posts: 25,492, Reputation: 2853
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    #8

    Mar 28, 2014, 08:36 AM
    Did you do this to just the ones in those rooms... or all the others in the house too? For the sake of clairity.
    mq_qasim's Avatar
    mq_qasim Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    Mar 28, 2014, 12:41 PM
    Just in those room. Everything else is good
    HowHardCanItBe's Avatar
    HowHardCanItBe Posts: 46, Reputation: 2
    Junior Member
     
    #10

    Mar 28, 2014, 01:28 PM
    So you feel confident that the things listed above are everything on the circuit (closet and everything else are on other circuits)?

    And when these go out you still read power at the breaker?
    mq_qasim's Avatar
    mq_qasim Posts: 6, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #11

    Mar 28, 2014, 02:18 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by HowHardCanItBe View Post
    So you feel confident that the things listed above are everything on the circuit (closet and everything else are on other circuits)?

    And when these go out you still read power at the breaker?

    I am not 100% sure. When I turned the breaker off, it looks like everything else is working fine. Another Question I have, is 20 Amp switch good enough for the lights I mentioned above?
    HowHardCanItBe's Avatar
    HowHardCanItBe Posts: 46, Reputation: 2
    Junior Member
     
    #12

    Mar 28, 2014, 04:15 PM
    20A should be fine for this load. Besides, if it was too much it would be simply tripping the breaker, not giving these strange symptoms. Newer houses will have dedicated circuit for bathroom receptacles--you could trip the breaker if you add hairdryers, etc. to the load, but that's another story.

    It would be good for you to figure out what each breaker feeds, not only for your own sanity, but would save time should you wind up paying an electrician by the hour later.

    Again, the next time lights goes out, verify that there is power at the breaker. It's not too common for breakers to go bad, but occasionally they do.
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
     
    #13

    Mar 28, 2014, 04:17 PM
    So at this point you still have not checked the wires connected to the breaker, right?

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