flickering lights in two apartments
- Thread starter mcfly
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Tonybugs72
Member
Have the power co. check your meter base and service drop. That verifies your service coming to the house is tight. Then look at the switches and rec's in these two circuits and make sure they are not loose, then check any motor connections (hardwired or cord connected).
gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
100226-1929 EST
mcfly:
How often or rapidly is the flickering occurring?
Suppose it is often enough that there no problem with you watching and waiting for the occurrence, then connect two 120 V 15 W incandescent lamps in series and bring out three leads. A lead from each end and one from the center of the two lamps. Connect the center point wire to the main panel neutral buss. The other two wires are connected to opposite phases.
You can use higher wattage bulbs, but they are too uncomfortable to watch.
When other lights in the house flicker do either or both of these lights flicker?
If one light brightens and the other dims, then this is associated with current flow on the neutral. If one dims and the other remains constant, then the change is associated with the hot wire circuit from the transformer to the output side of the breaker to which you are connected.
If the flicker at this point is very small compared to the flicker in the house, then the problem probably exists within or on the output side of the main panel. This could include the breaker to the circuit with the flickering lights, or the breaker connection to the main panel buss. This assumes the test lights connected to the main panel are not on a breaker that supplies the flickering lights.
You can do this same test with a DVM or two DVMs, but it is much harder to watch both meters at once or rapidly switching one meter between phases.
Once you have some idea of where to look, then the meter may be the most useful tool to use.
With more information I can provide additional techniques to isolate the cause.
.
mcfly:
How often or rapidly is the flickering occurring?
Suppose it is often enough that there no problem with you watching and waiting for the occurrence, then connect two 120 V 15 W incandescent lamps in series and bring out three leads. A lead from each end and one from the center of the two lamps. Connect the center point wire to the main panel neutral buss. The other two wires are connected to opposite phases.
You can use higher wattage bulbs, but they are too uncomfortable to watch.
When other lights in the house flicker do either or both of these lights flicker?
If one light brightens and the other dims, then this is associated with current flow on the neutral. If one dims and the other remains constant, then the change is associated with the hot wire circuit from the transformer to the output side of the breaker to which you are connected.
If the flicker at this point is very small compared to the flicker in the house, then the problem probably exists within or on the output side of the main panel. This could include the breaker to the circuit with the flickering lights, or the breaker connection to the main panel buss. This assumes the test lights connected to the main panel are not on a breaker that supplies the flickering lights.
You can do this same test with a DVM or two DVMs, but it is much harder to watch both meters at once or rapidly switching one meter between phases.
Once you have some idea of where to look, then the meter may be the most useful tool to use.
With more information I can provide additional techniques to isolate the cause.
.
Tonybugs72
Member
Just to add something before you get to far into this. Make sure the correct lamps are used and securely in place plus check the sockets to make sure the tab at the bottom is making good contact. Could be a vibration thing. Happy hunting 
Last edited:
electrickangaroo
Member
- Location
- st.petersburg fl
does this also occur on the second floor or only on the first floor?
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