Recessed lights blinking and clicking

[Buck Parrish]

I bid on a job wiring a house and didn't get it. Now they call me to fix all the problems the lo-baller created, in this case "hack".
I went just out of curiosity.
None of the three or 4-ways worked correctly. This was a big house, too.
So I turn on the kitchen recessed lights and they blink, perfectly timed blinking, just like a flasher on a car, and a clicking noise at the same time. Their is no dimmer.
I didn't take the job. But I sure was curious about those lights.

 

[hillbilly1]

They were probally in series with another load which was charging and discharging due to the low initial resistance of the incandesent bulbs.

 

[normbac]

they will do that if they are not IC rated and covered with insulation or maybe loose ground

 

[Buck Parrish]

They were probally in series with another load which was charging and discharging due to the low initial resistance of the incandesent bulbs.

Could or would you elaborate.

 

[hillbilly1]

The filament in an incandesent bulb has a very low initial resistance, but increases quickly as it heats, it could allow enough voltage through initially to operate whatever is wired in series with it, but as the resistance increases the voltage to the other load drops causing it to stop functioning starting the cycle over again. A previous poster thought it could be the thermal cut out on the fixture, which it could be, but usually those would each flash somewhat randomly, from what I gather from your post they are flashing together.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Thanks.............

 

[brantmacga]

A previous poster thought it could be the thermal cut out on the fixture, which it could be, but usually those would each flash somewhat randomly, from what I gather from your post they are flashing together.

agreed; rule out the thermal protection on this one. They wouldn't flash in sequence like that.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

How about a loose connection or bad switch that is making the lights flicker-- or are they actually blinking all the way off and on again?

 

[480sparky]

Illuminated switch and flourescent bulbs?

 

[Buck Parrish]

Standard bulbs and switch, recessed lights.
They blink all the way off then back on. Uniformally, perfectly timed like a flasher in the signal light of a car. They do this as soon as you turn them on. Before they have a chance to get hot.

 

[480sparky]

Long shot, but they make toggle switches that are designed to 'flash' a circuit. People sometimes put them on their porch lights so they could 'signal' someone.... like emergency crews or the pizza delivery guy.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Long shot, but they make toggle switches that are designed to 'flash' a circuit. People sometimes put them on their porch lights so they could 'signal' someone.... like emergency crews or the pizza delivery guy.

For sure that's a possibility and and easy check

 

[nakulak]

Just for fun, in a circumstance like that, I would always consider taking my original proposal for the job (that was rejected), and after walking thru the job and seeing all that garbage, pull it out, cross out the number, add some to it, and hand it to them .


lol

 

[480sparky]

Just for fun, in a circumstance like that, I would always consider taking my original proposal for the job (that was rejected), and after walking thru the job and seeing all that garbage, pull it out, cross out the number, add some to it, and hand it to them .


lol

That could easily backfire. A rewire may cost 2-5 times your original price. Besides, doing so would quickly alienate the customer. I would rather tell them, "I am not the problem here, but I am your solution."

 

[Buck Parrish]

Just for fun, in a circumstance like that, I would always consider taking my original proposal for the job (that was rejected), and after walking thru the job and seeing all that garbage, pull it out, cross out the number, add some to it, and hand it to them .

Yes, I like that. He the (owner / contractor wanna be) thought he was a big shot that was going to save money. He even bought all the material for the hack that wired it.

My bid was straight forward. They did learn their lesson though. The hack failed the rough 5 times before the inspector told the owner's to get rid of him.
They have been useing me on other houses. With out any problems.

 

[LarryFine]

They blink all the way off then back on. Uniformally, perfectly timed like a flasher in the signal light of a car. They do this as soon as you turn them on. Before they have a chance to get hot.

And they all blink off and on together, as one? That's so hard to do by accident. You'd have to go out of your way to make lights do that.

If so, there's something outside of the fixtures causing this. Either someone has put a flasher in the line just to mess with you, or there's a defective device.

I'd start with removing the switch(es) and temporarily wire-nutting the wires together (one switchn at a time.) There's not a dimmer in the line, is there?

What else shares the circuit? Is everything else working properly? Again, I'd look for a prank flasher. It has been mentioned in the forum recently, y'know.

 

[Buck Parrish]

What else shares the circuit? Is everything else working properly? Again, I'd look for a prank flasher. It has been mentioned in the forum recently, y'know.

Nothing in the house works perfectly. Not one three or four way switch works. And it is a big house. I do belive it would have to be in the line going to the light to do that . It's the clicking noise that got to me.

 

[480sparky]

Sounds like a relay or contactor.

 

[LarryFine]

It's the clicking noise that got to me.

Try to locate it. If it's coming from the fixtures, itmay be all of the filaments jumping in unison. They are incandescent, right?

Have you tried de-lamping them one at a time while flashing to see if the change in load has any effect?


(I mean while the fixtures are flashing, not you. )

 

[hillbilly1]

Try to locate it. If it's coming from the fixtures, itmay be all of the filaments jumping in unison. They are incandescent, right?

Have you tried de-lamping them one at a time while flashing to see if the change in load has any effect?


(I mean while the fixtures are flashing, not you. )

The OP turned the job down, so it is not his problem, but it would be interesting to find out how the original electrician ( I use that term loosely) screwed it up.