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Electrical short from water? Monkey Wrench 09-09-2006
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Posted by Monkey Wrench on September 9, 2006, 11:45 pm
Several weeks ago the overhead lights would blink
off then on once a day. That was when we started
having rain at night but not during the day so I wasn't
worried about it. Then the first day when it started
raining day and night for four days the overhead lights
in three rooms and all the wall plugs in one of those
rooms went dead.

I got in the attic and checked to see if any water was
getting in but everything looked dry and good. I
resisted the temptation to stick my hand into the
blown insulation to see if it was wet with an
electrical current flowing through it.

When the rain slacked off I checked the outdoor
breakers, cleaned out a wasp nest, got stung
twice but everything looked good.

When I put the voltage meter on with all the light
switches turned off and nothing plugged into the
outlets it showed 75 volts but as soon as a switch
was turned on or something was plugged in it went
to zero volts.

I took down all the overhead lights, checked them out
and put new light switches on, cut and stripped new
wire connections. When I turned on the light switch
the light came on for half a second then went out and
stayed out until a few minutes ago. They just started
working. It hasn't rained for two days. All of these are
on the same breaker. Would an electrical short caused
by water do this or would it be more likely there's a loose
connection somewhere?

Thanks for any advice
Monkey Wrench



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Posted by hallerb@aol.com on September 9, 2006, 11:49 pm
yeah water can do that.

get some good flashlights, turnm off main breaker for home and explore
looking for wet insulation.

with main breaker off you can get shocked


Posted by Jeff Wisnia on September 10, 2006, 12:28 pm
hallerb@aol.com wrote:

> yeah water can do that.

I'd like to hear your explanation of how water can do that without
popping the breaker.

The only thing I could imagine is water swelling of some piece of wood
with wiring stapled to it enough to cause a pull on a "loose
disconnection" and open the circuit, but that's a very long shot I think.
>
> get some good flashlights, turnm off main breaker for home and explore
> looking for wet insulation.

>
> with main breaker off you can get shocked
>

I think you meant ON.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?"

Posted by Toller on September 9, 2006, 11:53 pm

> Several weeks ago the overhead lights would blink
> off then on once a day. That was when we started
> having rain at night but not during the day so I wasn't
> worried about it. Then the first day when it started
> raining day and night for four days the overhead lights
> in three rooms and all the wall plugs in one of those
> rooms went dead.
>
> I got in the attic and checked to see if any water was
> getting in but everything looked dry and good. I
> resisted the temptation to stick my hand into the
> blown insulation to see if it was wet with an
> electrical current flowing through it.
>
> When the rain slacked off I checked the outdoor
> breakers, cleaned out a wasp nest, got stung
> twice but everything looked good.
>
> When I put the voltage meter on with all the light
> switches turned off and nothing plugged into the
> outlets it showed 75 volts but as soon as a switch
> was turned on or something was plugged in it went
> to zero volts.
>
> I took down all the overhead lights, checked them out
> and put new light switches on, cut and stripped new
> wire connections. When I turned on the light switch
> the light came on for half a second then went out and
> stayed out until a few minutes ago. They just started
> working. It hasn't rained for two days. All of these are
> on the same breaker. Would an electrical short caused
> by water do this or would it be more likely there's a loose
> connection somewhere?
>
I had a very similar problem. Turned out that one of my exterior outlets
had corroded and had an intermittent bad connection. Replaced it and
everything is fine.
I expect you have something similar. You just have to go at it one
component at time and see where the problem is.
You have an open circuit, not a short circuit. A short circuit would trip
the breaker, which you said it didn't.



Posted by peter on September 10, 2006, 1:55 am
> Several weeks ago the overhead lights would blink
> off then on once a day. That was when we started
> having rain at night but not during the day so I wasn't
> worried about it. Then the first day when it started
> raining day and night for four days the overhead lights
> in three rooms and all the wall plugs in one of those
> rooms went dead.
>
> I got in the attic and checked to see if any water was
> getting in but everything looked dry and good. I
> resisted the temptation to stick my hand into the
> blown insulation to see if it was wet with an
> electrical current flowing through it.
>
> When the rain slacked off I checked the outdoor
> breakers, cleaned out a wasp nest, got stung
> twice but everything looked good.
>
> When I put the voltage meter on with all the light
> switches turned off and nothing plugged into the
> outlets it showed 75 volts but as soon as a switch
> was turned on or something was plugged in it went
> to zero volts.
>
> I took down all the overhead lights, checked them out
> and put new light switches on, cut and stripped new
> wire connections. When I turned on the light switch
> the light came on for half a second then went out and
> stayed out until a few minutes ago. They just started
> working. It hasn't rained for two days. All of these are
> on the same breaker. Would an electrical short caused
> by water do this or would it be more likely there's a loose
> connection somewhere?

Water has relatively high resistance. They are not likely to cause a short
circuit severe enough to dim lights. A short severe enough to dim lights
would probably trip a circuit breaker. Your symtoms sound like an
intermittent open circuit.

Check for loose connection on this circuit in all junction boxes starting
from main panel to the lights. If there are receptacles between the panel
and the lights, plug a lamp in it. It would help you narrow down the problem
area (binary search).



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