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Posted by RBM on January 10, 2007, 7:19 am
Motor loads will typically cause a slight dimming due to their high starting
current, and depending upon the size of your electric service, the distance
you are from the transformer feeding your service, and the electrical demand
on your service at the time this occurs, the dimming may be more pronounced.
It doesn't sound like you necessarily have a problem, but you may want to
contact the manufacturer to see if this is a common complaint
>
> RBM remove this wrote:
>> If turning on motors like vacuums or oil burners, well pumps, or 120 volt
>> heating devices like hair dryers, etc also causes this dimming,on
>> circuits
>> other than the ones that these devices are connected to, I would have the
>> neutral connections to your service equipment checked
>
> I have a microwave oven in the kitchen that is on a different circuit
> than the espresso machine... I had my daughter start and stop the
> microwave every second or so while I watched the lights in the
> bathroom..
>
> I get the same effect from the microwave powering on and off... very
> very subtle "flicker", more like a very slight dimming and return to
> normal brightness within in a few milliseconds.. the lights never
> flicker to competely off then on.. just a very minimal dimming for a
> few milliseconds. I really have to concentrate to see it. The lights
> always return to full brighness once the appliance is running. Same
> with the espresso machine.. If I switch the boiler heater to full on,
> it makes the lights "dim" for that millisecond only at the start of the
> heating element... the lights are at full brighness when full on.
>
> In the case of the espresso machine, the power cycling in a regular
> pattern once a second or so and makes this dimming more noticeable.
>
> If not for the rythmic nature of the dimming, I'd never notice it's
> ocurring.
>
> My Garbage disposal also causes my lights in the house to dim slightly
> when I first flick it on as well.. but more noticeably than the
> espresso machine, and it's on it's own 20 amp circuit.. Lights dim
> very slightly for a 1/2 a second then back to normal once the disposal
> is running... I guess I never even noticed that either but I'm sure it
> was happening all the time.
>
> Wouldn't that be somewhat normal behavior, even for a 200 amp service?
> I'm hoping so.. but now that I'm noticing it maybe I'm just getting
> paranoid... if not for the pulsating effect of this appliance, I would
> never have given any of it a second thought.
>
> Maybe I don't even need to worry about it... like I said it's hardly
> noticeable, and always returns back to normal once the appliance is
> operating. Definately better than my old house with a 100 amp
> service.. Am I off base here? Does anyone think I need to have this
> checked by an electrician?
>
> Tony B.
>
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