By Dave Rongey Summary:
Electrical Troubleshooting Question: Sunday a toilet broke in my house and i had to call the water dept to shut off my water. The next day my dad replaced the toilet and turned the water back on from the meter.
Check Out What Others Are Sharing at Ask the Electrician: Great website....I plan to return and read up on many of the topics. Thank you for sharing your experience. Angelo from Toms river , New Jersey
Electrical Troubleshooting Question: Sunday a toilet broke in my house and i had to call the water dept to shut off my water.
The next day my dad replaced the toilet and turned the water back on from the meter. The same day when I went to use my hair dryer it made a horrible noise and there was smoke either coming out of the outlet or the hair dryer.Im not sure which.
Now today, tuesday the lights keep flickering. Could this cause my house to catch on fire. Very worried!
Thanks Missy S.
Hi Missy - Great Electrical Repair Question! From the information you've provided, the flickering of lights could be due to a loose or bad connection which should be checked by a qualified electrician.
If one light fixture is flickering then the problem could be isolated to that fixture and the associated wiring serving that fixture.
If there are other fixtures that are flickering at the same time, then this could indicate a loose splice, connection problem at the electrical panel or a possible problem with the circuit breaker or fuse.
An electrician would troubleshoot the problem through a process of elimination and series of voltage tests until the trouble is identified. I would sincerely encourage you to have a professional diagnose the situation.
As for the hair dryer, if the unit was making allot of noise then the smoke may have been from the hair dryer as well.
Hair dryers are known for pulling loose hair into the air chambers where the hair wraps can cause the motor to slow down and hair can also come into contact with the heating elements causing smoke or a burning odor.
If this is the case then the hair dryer should be repaired by a qualified person or simply replaced with a new one.
Don't forget to treat Dad for being such a nice person and helping you with your toilet!
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Electrical Wiring Video #2
Electrical Wiring Tips for Home Electrical Wiring Projects
Tripping Circuit Breaker, Outlet at a Wall Switch, Light Fixture without a Ground Wire, Help with Home Electrical Wiring Projects.
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Skill Level:
Intermediate to Advanced - Electrical Repairs and Circuit Wiring is Best Performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Tools Required:
Basic Electricians Pouch of Hand Tools, a Voltage Tester and a Multi Meter.
Estimated Time:
Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with tools, work with electrical wiring, and the available access to the project area. Precaution:
Identify the project circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the wiring.
Important:
Modifying existing electrical circuits or installing additional electrical wiring should be done according to local and national electrical codes with a permit and be inspected.
This is a testing tool that is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.
This is great to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring, is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets
Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency
Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included
Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect, Very handy and easy to use.
A wire stripping tool used to safely strip electrical wires.
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