archibald tuttle
Member
Think I've been over every connection and wire nut in this circuit. It is largely exposed in a basement so I can trace it fairly easily hits the finish basement from a wall shared with the unfinished side.
It had only 2 duplex outlets on a 20 amp minibreaker / about 50 feet of #12 wire with two junction boxes.
I jumped one of the outlets out of the wall in a wiremolding starter box and added a standard single pull switch and wire mold to an 8 bulb bath bar (it's not a bathroom just looking for a bunch of light). filled the bar with 13 watt (60 watt equivalent) flourescents. everything looked hunky-dory but noticed maybe ten minutes in a single quick blink off or flicker. And once I was paying attention saw that it was repeated but at no regular interval. could go 20 minutes without and then could blink a couple times in 5 minutes.
There is a computer battery back up plugged into one of the plugs and when the lights blinks it is tripped in.
I haven't challenged the circuit with a high amperage appliance. can do that tomorrow to see if it exacerbates matters or causes similar or more sustained symptoms. but do recall that the nature of flourescent loads (for reasons shrouded in mystery to this grasshopper) can challenge switches (and presumably connections) in ways that result in a different rating or recommendation for use of devices with flourescent loads so thought I'd post a question tonite for anything else to look for/at. and any explanation for a guy who lacks an oscilliscope of what phenomenon cause flourescents to test circuits more aggressively than their amperage might otherwise dictate.
thanks,
brian
It had only 2 duplex outlets on a 20 amp minibreaker / about 50 feet of #12 wire with two junction boxes.
I jumped one of the outlets out of the wall in a wiremolding starter box and added a standard single pull switch and wire mold to an 8 bulb bath bar (it's not a bathroom just looking for a bunch of light). filled the bar with 13 watt (60 watt equivalent) flourescents. everything looked hunky-dory but noticed maybe ten minutes in a single quick blink off or flicker. And once I was paying attention saw that it was repeated but at no regular interval. could go 20 minutes without and then could blink a couple times in 5 minutes.
There is a computer battery back up plugged into one of the plugs and when the lights blinks it is tripped in.
I haven't challenged the circuit with a high amperage appliance. can do that tomorrow to see if it exacerbates matters or causes similar or more sustained symptoms. but do recall that the nature of flourescent loads (for reasons shrouded in mystery to this grasshopper) can challenge switches (and presumably connections) in ways that result in a different rating or recommendation for use of devices with flourescent loads so thought I'd post a question tonite for anything else to look for/at. and any explanation for a guy who lacks an oscilliscope of what phenomenon cause flourescents to test circuits more aggressively than their amperage might otherwise dictate.
thanks,
brian