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Posted by nj_dilettante on May 25, 2006, 8:06 pm
PipeDown wrote:
>> I have a circuit which has no power even though the breaker is on. The
>> power stays off for several months, then suddenly goes back on. Several
>> months later, it suddenly goes off. I haven't noticed any
>> triggering events.
>>
>> The electrician I've been using tells me its a ground fault and can
>> only be checked when the power is on. He goes from outlet to
>> outlet, fixture to fixture, testing but never seems to find
>> anything. I'm not even sure what he's testing! I've forked over a
>> ton of money to this guy and still have a problem.
>>
>> Does this sound reasonable, or should I be looking for another
>> electrician? I wish I could re-wire, but it just isn't in the budget
>> right now!
>>
>> --
>> nj_dilettante
>> in the words of the immortal Sgt Schultz:
>> ~~ I know NOTH-THING ~~
>>
>
> Reminds me of that TV commercial where the guy is flipping this
> switch in his garage and hollering to his wife "is it that one honey"
> while two doors away a garage door slams up and down on some old
> lady's car (presumably controlled by his switch).
>
> Ground fault means current is traveling from the hot into the ground
> conductor, while this may trip a regular breaker and will trip a GFCI
> breaker or receptacle, it generally does not cause intermittant
> operation with random occurance and long MTBF. A ground fault could
> be found with the power off and an ohmmeter between hot and ground. He is
> limiting his test method to the one tester he understands (the
> plug in tester I would guess)
> Now if he were looking for an open neutral or hot in a wire nut that
> occasionally makes contact when enough vibration gets in the wall,
> that would be more reasonable.
>
> Is the whole branch circuit blacked out at once or just a portion of
> it? It could take a little time to map out the cables in the walls
> without seeing them so one could predict the location of an open. Has he
> tried the simple, lets replace the $20 breaker and see if that
> helps approach.
> Seriously, you should only pay his on site estimate fee (usually the
> first hour labor or so). If he cannot find and fix a problem, he has
> not rendered a service that is billable. If he ultimately fixes it,
> he is justified to bill for time spent but if he gives up, the
> additional time wasted should be his. Don't pay as you go, he could
> give up at any time and you will be at square 1 without a head start.
>
> Find another electrician, not one who works alone or with just 1 or
> two partners. Get one of those 1-800-plumber/electrician outfits
> from the yellow pages. The pricing is less flexible but in this case
> that is to your advantage. Most times they will give you a fixed
> price quite and there are several levels of managers to climb if
> there is a problem, If the "technician" or Journeyman electrician
> can't find it Demand they send the Master out.
>
> If it is working now and you are looking back in time trying to find
> the fault, that could be very difficult. Might wait until it blacks
> out again to start troubleshooting.
THANK YOU! This is just the advice I was looking for! Which means,
basically, that you've justified my doubts about my electrician, and you've
given me some vocabulary to use with the next one.
My BS radar has been beeping loudly and I've been longing to ask this guy if
my problem will be fixed before his youngest kid is out of college! I'm a
woman who knows enough (after 15 years of renovating a very old house) to
hold my own with most trades, but I have not been able to get a handle on
this problem.
--
nj_dilettante
in the words of the immortal Sgt Schultz:
~~ I know NOTH-THING ~~
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