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Electrical Wiring

some lights dim and outlets do not work, others work fine

15 years ago

This morning my wife was getting ready for work and all of the sudden some of the lights in the house went out, others stayed on. The range went out also. Other parts of the house worked fine, plugs and lights. After about 15 minutes the lights came back on but were very dim. When turning on the bathroom fan, the lights would dim. Over time the lights seemed to get a bit brighter but if you turned on others they would dim, the lights that were working never seem to have any dimming or interupt in power during this time. I believe the lights and outlets that do not work are on both sides of the panel. I suspect there is a loose neutral wire but am not sure how to track down where it would be. One post I read on some forum said a loose neutral would cause dimming on every other circuit so I figured I would check the panel first, just wanted to get more advice.

Comments (8)

normel
15 years ago
Sounds more like a loose hot wire. Could be at the main panel, the meter, or the incoming line. Usually occurs due to Al wire not properly torqued and treated.
Ron Natalie
15 years ago
I'd agree with the loose neutral. It's almost a dead giveaway if things work better if you turn on a 240V appliance (like the oven or drier). Most panels don't split the legs left and right but rather every other position vertically (this is to make 2-pole breakers mounting simpler).
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Please create a new thread when you have a new topic. If you have a "short" in your circuit, you'll have no voltage at all, and hopefully the circuit breaker has tripped. Low voltage is usually either devices wired in series instead of in parallel, or if very low, it's just a phantom voltage induced from another circuit. I'd call an electrician.
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Sniff, I'm not sure if you are insinuating anything or not with the "fixed" and "lots of money to be made during the holidays" thing in your post. Whenever someone calls me with this kind of problem I suggest that it is probably a tripped GFCI and even go so far as to tell people where to look. Invaribly when folks call back and still have issues and want me to make a service call, I find a tripped GFCI. AND, it is usually in one of the places I told them to look. A service call seldom takes less than 2 hours with driving time, paperwork, etc. I also have to stop work on a job I'm already at, work that pays my going rate, and pick up tools, clean up, and tell the customer I'm with that someone has an emergency that just can't wait. Time at the house is nowhere near all that is involved. Absent exceptional circumstances I'm not inclined to charge folks with a tripped GFCI any less than my going rate because they can't find it or that the solution to the problem is pushing a button. I can't speak for other electricians but I've no doubt most of the ones I know would do the same thing I do when called about this kind of thing. If you read any DIY boards at all you will find that recommendations abound that suggest you map the circuit breakers in your house and plug a GFCI tester into each receptacle. Any that go off when the button is pushed need to have the tripped GFCI located and noted on the circuit map. This process costs you your time and about $135.00 less than a service call..........
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steve_fl
15 years ago
I'd agree with normel-
Could be a nick in one of the hot feeds (underground) that finally succommed to moisture and corroded.
It happened to me-12 years after the undergrounds were put in!
joed
15 years ago
Loose neutral won't make stove not work. Loose hot is likely the problem. Loose neutral would have symptom of some lights getting brighter than normal.
pharkus
15 years ago
Most importantly, a loose neutral will cause ALL 120V circuits to have problems - All those on one side will have low voltage while the other side has high.

If some circuits remained a solid 120, the neutral is not the problem.

I'm going with the loose hot diagnosis.
leamael
15 years ago
If above ground, likely corrosion to main (in/under your meter outside?) which will cause partial outages and dimming. Likely a loose neutral if lights are actually flickering (bright, dim, bright or rapid on off); this can cause both low and high voltage surges. This may be caused by corrosion and should be checked very soon at least by PGE or whoever your local electric company is, to confirm the problem as the surges can cause anything from PC failure to appliance overheating/fire. Installations performed with high-dielectric silicone or other "goop" will not have this corrosion issue. If it is an underground system, I think you definately have to consider the hot. However, partial outages are usually due simply to corrosion. The fix? Call the electric company, ask them to investigate the partial outage or flickering and then call an electrician or general contractor if necessary. I would NOT suggest opening up your meter, brushing and caulking. This is not a old battery.
James Johnson
3 years ago
So did you ever figure out what the problem was and how to fix it. We had a bad storm last night and our electricity is doing the same thing Now.
DavidR
3 years ago
James, the OP has not been back in a long time and probably won't answer.

Your answer is in the thread. Just read it.

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