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Electrical Wiring

Strange electrical problem

16 years ago

One of the breakers in my circuit box is not working (or so it seems). The lights controlled by it don't come on even when the breaker is on the on position. Strangely the HVAC which is on a different breaker also does not turn on. The crazy thing is - my range will start making a clicking noise (on yet another breaker). If I turn it on the noise goes away and both the other circuits (the HVAC and the breaker controlling the lights) automatically come on. They stay on for about 30 minutes and then switch off again (the switches don't trip). Anyone know what is wrong? Is it the main breaker to the house? Why does switching the range on help the other two circuits? I've already reset the main breaker to the house and it didn't help. Thank you for the help.

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Comments (6)

bus_driver
16 years ago
Possibly a loose neutral. A combination of items drawing current permits everything to work in a fashion. When some of them are off, the others do not work either. Do you have means of measuring the voltage at the times when the symptoms vary?
joed
16 years ago
Is it only one breaker that is not working? Sounds like you might have one of your hot legs on your service out.
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vsondhi
Original Author
16 years ago
A loose neutral to one of the breakers or do you mean to one of the devices not working?
Its not one breaker - the breaker for lights in a couple of rooms and the one for the HVAC stop working. The range is on a different breaker and switching that on makes the other two work. I can buy a multimeter and test the output voltage on a power circuit and see if it drops when things stop working.
joed
16 years ago
Call the POCO now. It sounds like you have one of the hot legs out from the POCO. Half of your panel is dead.
michaelpwalton1
16 years ago
Your problem is one of two things. Either one of your hot legs is out or a loose Neutral wire or splice. I cant tell for sure if it is one of the hot legs. If it is a hot leg that is out, 1/2 of the pannel would not be working and no 220volt load would work properly (your electric range would not get as hot as it should). My better guess is that one or more of your neutral wires on the neutral bar are loose or there is a splice box somewhere that has a bad splice (on the Neutral) in it.
bigbird_1
16 years ago
"Your problem is one of two things. Either one of your hot legs is out or a loose Neutral wire or splice. I cant tell for sure if it is one of the hot legs. If it is a hot leg that is out, 1/2 of the pannel would not be working and no 220volt load would work properly (your electric range would not get as hot as it should). My better guess is that one or more of your neutral wires on the neutral bar are loose or there is a splice box somewhere that has a bad splice (on the Neutral) in it."

Isn't this exactly what bus driver and joed already said?

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