• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Annoying home electrical problem

S

sigtauenus

Active Member
I have a 30 year old house, lived here coming up on 6 years.


I just replaced a light fixture in the hallway that kept blowing bulbs with a new fixture that has a compact flourescent bulb. Its actually remarkably bright for only having 1 23 watt bulb.


Anyhow, when I turn off the light at the switch, the bulb flashes.


Weird, huh?


Well, I pulled everything apart again and found 55V on the circuit with the switches off (two 3-way switches), and basically figured out that I have connection somewhere in the circuit that is shorted neutral to ground. I checked multiple places and I have 55V on the voltmeter between neutral and ground. Not good.


Apparently the flourescent bulb is getting enough voltage to try to start but not enough to run, which explains the flashing light. Well, right now its disconnected again.


So, as if I don't have enough projects already, I'll be chasing down an outlet somewhere in the bedrooms that some worker bee wired incorrectly 30 years ago.


Sometimes working on this house I think it would easier to just gut everything back to the studs and start over.
 
Are the three way switches good? Be extremely careful not to let the smoke out. I have seen that with a simple wire switched from one side of a plug to another. I located the problem by simply unplugging things 1 at a time until the voltage dropped. Then fixed that plug.
 
Hehehehe, I chased down 100 things like that in my last house. It was built in the 40's and was added on to three times before I tore it back a bit and gutted areas and added on myself....You would be surprised what I found.

I had to stop one of the projects and tell everyone to go home and come back in a week when we found an old stove pipe wrapped in asbestos. I removed it myself and put it in the bottom of the dumpster. Off it went without the hazmat charges of $3000.00.

Yep you need to find the incorrectly wired outlet or switch.

One good thing about supervising the building of this house, I watched every stage and know what was done....

Oh, my old house had conduit and it wasn't worth restringing it since the insulation on the wires was in awesome shape. We did get rid of the old sausage fuses. I still have some of those in my junk bucket.

Mel
 
"sigtauenus" said:
Elaborate please, not familiar with that term.
Click to expand...

Inside the insulation of the wire is the actual wire itself plus a certain amount of smoke. This is installed from the wire manufacturer. If, when working on any elec. circuit, you make a mistake and see smoke....well, let's just say you screwed up.
 
"sigtauenus" said:
Ah, I read it literally the first time rather than taking it as being said in jest.
Click to expand...

Either way.....you are in trouble if the smoke gets out. lol
 
I'm going to pick up a $5 outlet tester at lowes. I know I can use my volt-meter, but the 3 prong tester would make this go a lot faster.
 
"sigtauenus" said:
Ah, I read it literally the first time rather than taking it as being said in jest.
Click to expand...

A jest at the StangFix unheard of. :nut

fd
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top