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Question for electrical pundits

ltcdotyltcdoty Member Posts: 4,184 ✭✭✭
edited March 2014 in General Discussion
Sitting with herself last night watching the news on the cable. Suddenly the tv went off, the clock on the stove and the microwave went out in the kitchen, and a small electric heater went off.

I got up to check the circuit breaker when everything came back on. Now all the time this was happening, the lights stayed on...never went out.
Whats up?

Comments

  • md1634md1634 Member Posts: 644 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Different circuit.
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,692 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The stuff that stayed on is on a different circuit from the stuff that went off.
    But, why a circuit would go off, but then come back on without you throwing a breaker, I can't explain.

    Definitely could be poltergeist activity. You may need exorcism by a priest.
  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,459 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    did you make the dog mad????????????
  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You most likely have a 240 volt single phase system in your house, the most common.
    There are two hot wires [each 120] and one grounded {neutral} coming into the house.
    Each leg {120volt} feeds half the circuits in the panel box {"A" phase and "B" phase} STILL a single phase system, but thats more complicated.

    One of them dropped off for a minute. May be loose connections or even a temporary "burb" in the power system outside.
    See this.. one hot black, one hot red, one neutral white.

    bbox.jpg
  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Two circuits into meter, one cut out [;)]
  • the middlethe middle Member Posts: 3,089
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by babun
    You most likely have a 240 volt single phase system in your house, the most common.
    There are two hot wires [each 120] and one grounded {neutral} coming into the house.
    Each leg {120volt} feeds half the circuits in the panel box {"A" phase and "B" phase} STILL a single phase system, but thats more complicated.

    One of them dropped off for a minute. May be loose connections or even a temporary "burb" in the power system outside.
    See this.. one hot black, one hot red, one neutral white.

    bbox.jpg



    A big problem I see with this panel.....it has aluminum wire with NO no-lox compound (anti oxidant) on the termination points. Unless Im not seeing it, there doesnt appear to be ANY on any wire...and this WILL....repeat....WILL result in failures...right up to a FIRE!!!!

    Things like the OP is talking about....yep...this panel will do it....and much more!!

    The stuff is cheap....a couple bucks a bottle...WTH....USE IT!! Believe me, it pays for itself!!!

    BTW...this is a SUB-PANEL....it doesnt have a main breaker (kills both phases) and the ground and neutral are separate.
    A main panel...will have both ground and neutrals landed on the same bar...all panels after it, will have the separate. Cant count the number of times I had to fix that after some "hack" installed a sub-panel.
  • Chief ShawayChief Shaway Member, Moderator Posts: 6,289 ******
    edited November -1
    Is everything that went off on the same circuit?
    If so then either a loose hot or neutral.
    If not, then like was said earlier, temporarily lost one leg coming into the house.
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    just blame obama and get it over with.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • haroldchrismeyerharoldchrismeyer Member Posts: 2,213
    edited November -1
    Happens at my work all the time. Babun is correct. About half our stuff works, except for the 240 volt items.
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