Flickering Lights

[concentric]

Hello!

About 6 months ago, we ran some new wiring in a home that had water damage. Old aluminum wire, so added purple wirenuts to everything we worked on in that circuit and we added 4 recess cans/switch to the circuit. Now the cans and a plugged in lamp are flickering intermittently. We tested voltage on everything and made sure panel connections are tight (old Federal Pacific). I'm getting 120v consistently across the circuit and we also replaced all old receptacles with new and added copper tails/purple wirenuts to everything on circuit. I'm at a loss as to what could be causing this. Two days later and homeowner says it's not as bad, but still does it every now and then. Could this be anything besides a loose neutral on this circuit that I just haven't found yet? Thanks guys!


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[GoldDigger]

If they only get dimmer as they flicker it could be a bad connection in either hot or neutral conductor.
If the lights get brighter when they flicker it would have to be a problem with the common neutral of an MWBC. The latter could be in a branch, feeder or service.

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[concentric]

If they only get dimmer as they flicker it could be a bad connection in either hot or neutral conductor.
If the lights get brighter when they flicker it would have to be a problem with the common neutral of an MWBC. The latter could be in a branch, feeder or service.

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Would a loose neutral in the can connection cause a plugged in lamp to flicker too? Thanks!


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[GoldDigger]

Would a loose neutral in the can connection cause a plugged in lamp to flicker too? Thanks!


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Do you mean a lamp plugged into the can or one plugged into a separate receptacle somewhere?

If downstream parts of the circuit are wired using a pass through at the can, then a bad connection there could cause downstream flicker.
If the devices are wired in a star instead, then no.

To a very small extent a poor connection on a heavy draw can (halogen bulb, for example) might cause slight flickering of other lights on the circuit because of the effect of cold filament surge current on the voltage drop in the rest of the circuit.

 

[ActionDave]

Just because your meter reads 120V does not mean all your connections are good. Are you checking the circuit while it's loaded up?

 

[FionaZuppa]

disco the ckt, then tone it looking for the place where it might be broken. some testers can give the distance to the break, then you just estimate where that may be.

gremlins in the wall, shoot carefully.

 

[readydave8]

water damage. . . Old aluminum wire. . . (old Federal Pacific).

How much money can customer afford to spend on wiring upgrades?

 

[growler]

Just because your meter reads 120V does not mean all your connections are good. Are you checking the circuit while it's loaded up?

I agree that the circuit needs to be loaded. Get a space heater or hair dryer and load the circuit and see what you have.

With an FP panel it could even be the breaker is not installed correctly. Once that stab lock starts arcing it's over for that breaker position and breaker.

If the breaker is good then see how much of the circuit is still working properly. You do this by seeiing what all is on the circuit to start with.

 

[growler]

How much money can customer afford to spend on wiring upgrades?

It doesn't sound very good. I don't even like to deal with AL wiring but add FP panel and water damage and it really gets interesting.

 

[JFletcher]

Easiest way to check would be, at the panel, swap the ungrounded conductor to another circuit of the same ampacity, and see if the problem persists. If it does, you probably have a loose connection in one of the boxes you went into*. You could also have a mostly broken AL conductor making intermittent contact; old AL, small boxes and big purple wirenuts means the wires tend to get overbent and break when folding the wires back in after device replacement.

*you can rap the device or coverplate with the heel of your hand or hammer handle to (hopefully) cause enough vibration to know where the loose connection is.

Alumiconns make a better connection than the purple wirenuts.

Like others mentioned, check the breaker to buss connection. FPE Stab Lock panels have adjustable covers and the deadfront has to be on and adjusted corrected for proper breaker contact.