Lights turn off ??

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TRAVIS LATIOLAIS

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I got a call from a good customer, who bought a vacation home. He said when he turns his M bed lights on, the living lights go off. When he turns them back off, the living lights go back on. The M bed is on a 15amp ge, and the living is on a seperate 15amp ge breaker. I'm thinking maybe the 2 breakers are on A phase, and the 2 neutrals are tied back together inside house somewere.(neutral problem)The vacation home is 3 hrs from my shop. Has anyone ran across this issue before? Any suggestions before i make a 3hr trip.Thanks in advance.:?
 
masterinbama

masterinbama

Senior Member
Location
Huntsville Alabama
How old of a home? Just did a tear out and rewire on a 1950's home that had low voltage relays buried in the ceilings behind the hi hats. Had all kinds of odd switching issues in this place.
 
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TRAVIS LATIOLAIS

Member
The home is new.
I am only going to take the call, because he is a really good customer, and gives me several commercial jobs locally. He is not from that area, and cant locate electrician who wired home. By the way, it is a 7000sq ft vacation home, so i am guessing it would be a 400amp service.
 
ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Sounds like somebody's taking a rode trip.

What does 400 amp service have to do with it?

Don't over read into it.
Open some box's, you'll get it.

......and I'm sure he's gonna take care of you, don't sweat it.
 
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hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Does sound like a neutral issue, though I had a customer with a brand new cabin where the switch in the bathroom turned on the living room lights, but the electrician that wired it dropped the light feed into the wrong box.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Is that the only place there is an issue? Could be 3 ways in the area that are adjacent to each other and in the same box. The Ec may have the wiring crossed in there. Lots of possibilities but I would get the builder to get hold of the EC.
 
Joethemechanic

Joethemechanic

Senior Member
Location
Hazleton Pa
Occupation
Electro-Mechanical Technician. Industrial machinery
Sounds like he is one of these guys

monopoly-man.jpg


Remember to wipe your boots, and no spitting on the floor or cursing

You want him to look like this when you are done

monopoly.jpg


Oh, and BTW maybe most importantly. No leering at the wimmins
 
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TRAVIS LATIOLAIS

Member
Customer called back today, and said lights dim for a few minutes then go back bright. I had this problem before, with a MRI machine. The POCO neutral was too small. I am headed out there next week, and will keep you guys posted.
 
ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Your costumer has an MRI machine at his summer home? :D


Just a suggestion......maybe don't look so deep into it. It may be a bad splice as stated (on/off original problem) and the dimming lights may have been a utility thing, (totally unrelated).

Good Luck.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
TRAVIS LATIOLAIS said:
He said when he turns his M bed lights on, the living lights go off. When he turns them back off, the living lights go back on. The M bed is on a 15amp ge, and the living is on a seperate 15amp ge breaker. I'm thinking maybe the 2 breakers are on A phase, and the 2 neutrals are tied back together inside house somewere.(neutral problem)The vacation home is 3 hrs from my shop. Has anyone ran across this issue before? Any suggestions before i make a 3hr trip.Thanks in advance.:?
Click to expand...

If the two circuits are "A" phase and the neutrals are tied togather what problem would that cause" ? You would never even know about it unless you were to check out the circuit because there is still a return path.

Suggestion: Don't worry to much about what the customer tells you is happening? You know there is a problem with the wiring on these two circuits and that's enough for now. Wait until you get there and check things out to verify the symptoms.

I would think that they have a couple of wires tapped wrong in a switch box. The idea is to figure out which switch or junction box contains both circuits. A common mistake is for a "white" traveler on a 3-way not to be marked or re-identified and get made up as a neutral.
 
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TRAVIS LATIOLAIS

Member
Hey guys, thanks for all your help. I drove the 3 hr trip, and found the problem. The POCO neutral wasnt tied into the terminal block at the pedestal. It was in the block, but was never tightened down. It was just sitting there loose in the lug. I let POCO know what was going on, and then tightened it myself. Everything is working fine now, thanks for all your help.
 
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