Recessed lights blinking and clicking

[ceb58]

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.

That would be my thought also. I have seen them in the supply houses advertised as 911 switches. That or the hack is still stuck in the disco era:wink:

 

[donselectric]

sounds like he got between the tp some how....

 

[480sparky]

It would be interesting to find out what the problem really is. Too bad the OP passed on the job. I would have loved getting that deep into troubleshooting. Shoot the HO an hourly rate, and have at it.

It would also be interesting to find out why the original hack can't finish the job (got fired by the HO, got caught without a license/permit, ended up in the clink for DWI....)

Just a thought, too. Maybe the hack intentionally sabotaged his own work in an effort to prevent someone else from messing with it. In other words, did something during rough that would cause this, something he could easily fix if someone else tried to do his job for him.

I know that happens because I do it myself.

 

[quogueelectric]

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.

They probably wired through the thermal cutouts in series and the first one has all of the load thereby heating up and shutting off the entire ckt first.

 

[LarryFine]

They probably wired through the thermal cutouts in series and the first one has all of the load thereby heating up and shutting off the entire ckt first.

Now that would be a riot, but are the cutouts current-sensitive? And would they reset within one second, and repeat the cycle?

 

[quogueelectric]

Now that would be a riot, but are the cutouts current-sensitive? And would they reset within one second, and repeat the cycle?

Of course every thermal is designed for the current of 1 can. The first thermal would recieve the highest current therefore the downstream cans would never trip before the first can which is in series with the rest of the cans. If some super genius wired these this is my most probable diagnosis. Based on information provided. I can only do so much but I am usually close or right based on past performance. I have known some of the most famous village idiots. The clicking gave this away as the most likely result.

 

[480sparky]

They probably wired through the thermal cutouts in series and the first one has all of the load thereby heating up and shutting off the entire ckt first.

I'm gonna have to bench-test that idea. I have a bunch of TCOs from some cans I pulled out laying around. I'll see if I can tie them up in series and make that happen.

 

[LarryFine]

Of course every thermal is designed for the current of 1 can. The first thermal would recieve the highest current therefore the downstream cans would never trip before the first can which is in series with the rest of the cans.

I understand that, but the sensors are not designed to limit current flow, so they shouldn't produce heat. They're designed to open when externally heated, not electrically loaded, or overloaded.

I do say that it would be almost impossible to do by accident, since the socket's black wire is directly hard-wired to one sensor wire. I have seen older ones with the sensor on the J-box.

 

[LarryFine]

I'm gonna have to bench-test that idea. I have a bunch of TCOs from some cans I pulled out laying around. I'll see if I can tie them up in series and make that happen.

No, you only need one, but in line with many high-wattage bulbs.

 

[480sparky]

No, you only need one, but in line with many high-wattage bulbs.

True, but I've got the parts laying around to try it. I replaced some 6" cans a couple weeks ago, and I kept the sockets and TCOs as spare parts.

 

[quogueelectric]

No, you only need one, but in line with many high-wattage bulbs.

Listen to the OP and hear the 3 main clues.
1. The hack was a lowballer which means he cant get the going rate forsome reason and believe me there IS a reason.
2. The RECESSED cans are blinking Which used to mean they used reg cans and left the insulation tight to the can in the cathedral ceilings. I have to admit that I used IC cans exclusively way before it was fashionable.
I have NEVER spliced through a thermal OL in my life.
Most hacks install the cans wrong and to solve the problem cut the OL out of the ckt to solve the problem of incompetence from the start.
Lots of trips from the local Fire dept. Words cant even explain the anger when I see an electrician so called cut out an ol to fix the blinking.
3. The op mentioned noise which is the first ol screaming HELP ME!!!! as it has about 5 amps running through an OL designed for 1 amp max bimetalically flexing until it breaks the ckt and cools off.
Every can down the line is .5 amp aprox less in current.

 

[LarryFine]

So you're saying that the sensors respond to current as well as heat. But that would require splicing into the first sensor's load side.

As for the insulation, that can do it to each one individually, but that still doesn't explain them all blinking in unison (see above line).

 

[TwinCitySparky]

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.

Not even one 3 or 4 way operates!!! Man that slammer really knew his stuff.

I vote the switch idea as well... There are "line carrier" or X-10 type switches that work with alarm systems. I have wired alarm systems that "talk" to these and flash them exactly as described. The intended application is for the outside lighting to capture attention during an intrusion alarm. Did the same guy do the low voltage???

Its possible the alarm system is stuck in alarm, sending the flash signal and the siren "timed out/shut down" long ago... Sounds like the H/O got what he paid for.:roll: What a way to learn.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Listen to the OP and hear the 3 main clues.

2. The RECESSED cans are blinking Which used to mean they used reg cans and left the insulation tight to the can in the cathedral ceilings.

Listen to what you are saying. There is no way that the cans are blinking in unison from thermal protectors. It can't happen. One goes off stays off for awhile then another, etc but not in unison.

 

[hillbilly1]

Since the thermals are factory wired I don't see a hack going to the trouble of breaking apart that wiring to have one thermal feed all lights!