Weird home electrical issue - help?

[Indy_Guy_77]

Tonight - something started happening in our house with the electrical draw.

In the main part of the kitchen, we have three fluorescent lights. Those would come on nicely.

However - when the microwave was run....it would dim the lights. And the micro wasn't running at full power.

Lights go off - micro ramps back up.

Similar with hot air popcorn popper. Lights on = lower efficiency. However it also ran low/slow with lights off.

We've been here for 5 years. Same microwave. ALL other appliances the same. Lights the same.

What would cause this to happen all of a sudden? Everything worked just fine at dinner time...

Should I be super duper concerned?

 

[Bunnykid68]

Circuit breaker trying to fail?

 

[88GT]

tagging for interest. WIsh I could help but electrical is NOT my forte at all.

 

[MCgrease08]

I know when our main breaker switch got fried it crossed up all kinds of stuff. We would run the microwave and lose power to whole sections of the house without any of the breakers tripping. Then when I would flip off the main breaker to shut down all the power, the previously dark sections of the house would light up and the rest would go dark. It was really odd.

Once we finally pulled the breaker box off the wall it was clear to see that the main breaker switch had been burned completely through. The side panel had a 2 inch burnt out hole in it. We actually ended up replacing the lines running into the house, the entire box and all the breakers.

 

[Magneto]

I had the same problem last year. Turns out the neutral from the power pole was lost. You might want to call the electric company and have them check.

 

[sepe]

I know when our main breaker switch got fried it crossed up all kinds of stuff. We would run the microwave and lose power to whole sections of the house without any of the breakers tripping. Then when I would flip off the main breaker to shut down all the power, the previously dark sections of the house would light up and the rest would go dark. It was really odd.

Once we finally pulled the breaker box off the wall it was clear to see that the main breaker switch had been burned completely through. The side panel had a 2 inch burnt out hole in it. We actually ended up replacing the lines running into the house, the entire box and all the breakers.

I had a friend that was having a similar problem when they'd use anything that took a decent momentary voltage draw. They had someone telling them it was a something about a neutral connection. Not really knowing much about electricity other than it hurts when it bites, they had someone come in to work on it. Ended up being a bad connection running into the box.

 

[Hammer]

If you are asking on here, you probably have little or no electrical experience and I would not suggest you go any further. Call a qualified electrician and have them look at it. But it could be a multitude of things causing this type of issue from a bad wire to a bad lug on the transformer.

 

[mohrpork]

I would have to agree with Magneto, sounds like a ground or neutral wire issue.

 

[Dosproduction]

Im a engineer. It could be a couple of things including a neutral issue. First off what else is on that same circuit. A lot of times lights are on a seperate circuit then outlets. Specially in bathrooms and kitchens to have them both on the same breaker is not completly uncommon though. If it is just the kitchen lights and the one outlet I would get a tester from home depot it looks like a little plug that has 3 lights on it. Plug this into the outlet and depending on the sequence it will inform you if you are missing a neutral or have a short of short to ground issue. Another issue could be the ballist in the flouresent light fixture is going and it is drawing more amps then normal. Do you know if the lights are T12s or T8s 4 footers? Can you tell if your fridge is kicking on at the same time as the issue as well?

 

[Dosproduction]

And the advice above can save you alot of headaches a qualified electrician is the way to go.

 

[ATM]

Check your flux capacitor.

It should look similar to this:

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I agree with some of the other folks above, it sounds like a loosened connection somewhere...and my first thought would be in your breaker panel.

I know a bit about electricity and I know what I'd do to start troubleshooting it but if you don't know what you're doing, you could get hurt very quickly.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I agree with some of the other folks above, it sounds like a loosened connection somewhere...and my first thought would be in your breaker panel.

I know a bit about electricity and I know what I'd do to start troubleshooting it but if you don't know what you're doing, you could get hurt very quickly.

THIS!

 

[Dosproduction]

I changed my mind it is your Flux capacitor.

 

[88GT]

THIS!

Wusses.

You haven't lived until you touch the wrong wires together (in the house) and see the electric blue arc of electricity shoot from your detached garage 6' into the air.

 

[short308]

Needs more Ground.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Wusses.

You haven't lived until you touch the wrong wires together (in the house) and see the electric blue arc of electricity shoot from your detached garage 6' into the air.

I don't know about 6' into the air...but i can tell you about the time I knocked the electrical service to my apartment building. I don't know how far the arc leaped into the air--I was instantly blinded for several seconds...I don't think it went too high as I still had my eye brows and didn't smell hair burning.

 

[churchmouse]

Are all of those appliances on the same breaker. If you have a voltmeter check voltage at the plug for the appliance you are using. It sounds like a loss of voltage in the circuits that feed your kitchen. Could be a neutral...could be a breaker cooking the buss bar....need to get this looked at right away. Too many babies in that house. ( not you indy)

 

[churchmouse]

277 and 440 are beyond description as to the pain they will hand out. Just know that I speak from experience.
115 is just a good jolt by comparison.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

277 and 440 are beyond description as to the pain they will hand out. Just know that I speak from experience.
115 is just a good jolt by comparison.

I would bet while more people are electrocuted by 120VAC than anything else, most are burned by arc flash incidents with 480 volts than electrocuted. I've never been hit by 480v but I know guys that have and based on their descriptions, you are right about the "hit" at that voltage level. You start getting up into the 5 digit voltage ranges and you start talking about 4th degree burns.