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So what happened?
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Electrical Crisis!!!!!!!
- Thread starter sensirocker
- Start date
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Guest
sensirocker said:
The outlet in the ketchin is probably on the same circuit as the ones in the garage , did you possibly have a microwave pluged in to the ketchin outlet? I would put my money on a fried plug or loose splice , First turn off the power to the outlets by shutting down the main then check the wireing to the receptical/ outlets that arent working my guess is that you will find one that is fried. recipticals are only a few bucks and not that hard to replace.
I just had the same problem used a book called electricity basics as a guide ended up being the last outlet i checked the wires on the bad plug looked like they had battery acid on em , i allso ended up finding a shitty breaker that had to be replaced because there was a 1500watt microwave running off the same circuit as a 1000 watter.
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Guest
A loose splice or bad receptacle?I'd take that bet in a heartbeat how exactly do the wires suddenly pop loose?Bad receptacles are so few and far between I'd definately take that bet lol.Its either his overcurrent device or a GFI breaker needs to be reset,it aint nothing else
sensirocker said:
Hi, IMO, that is TOO much wattage to be running through a cord as long as 100 feet and especially if it is your basic 16 ga cord. Too long and too thin to be running about 10 amps of current through. I'll bet the cord got really warm. This could cause a fire.
Next time you have to run a cord, use as short and thick (at least 14 ga) a cord as you can.
Hope you get your electrical problems sorted, they can be a real bitch!
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Guest
Sounds to me like you have old knob and tube wiring?
The first thing I would do is replace all of the fuses in the fuse box in the basement.
If that doesn't solve your problem then you have a short somewhere? It could be anywhere with knob and tube wiring? Check all of you recpticals first. Then if all the connections look OK trace all the wires for those plugs starting at your fuse box.
GCG
If his house is that old I very highly doubt that there are any GFCI plugs in it?
The first thing I would do is replace all of the fuses in the fuse box in the basement.
If that doesn't solve your problem then you have a short somewhere? It could be anywhere with knob and tube wiring? Check all of you recpticals first. Then if all the connections look OK trace all the wires for those plugs starting at your fuse box.
GCG
If his house is that old I very highly doubt that there are any GFCI plugs in it?
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Sounds like a fire waiting to burn to me. I'd take everyone's advice here. Shut those breakers off immediately and check all of your receptacles. Those round bus fuses are sometimes not the best at telling you they're blown. I've seen them where they are clear as a bell but dead as a door nail.
Get a good book on electricity. Since you're a farmer, you are best off having a good understanding of it seeing as it's your sunshine. You're also human, I'm assuming..., and I'm sure you like having your roof over your head.
Be careful and best of luck.
Did you hang any pictures, put up any trim.... Anything that required a nail going into your wall or floor?
Spaced...
Get a good book on electricity. Since you're a farmer, you are best off having a good understanding of it seeing as it's your sunshine. You're also human, I'm assuming..., and I'm sure you like having your roof over your head.
Be careful and best of luck.
Did you hang any pictures, put up any trim.... Anything that required a nail going into your wall or floor?
Spaced...
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Guest
before you go apeshit tearing apart outlet boxes looking for bad splices, change youir fuses.
if you don't want to buy one, take one out that you know works. then move the good fuse around to all the other fuse holders. after you change each fuse, go to check if the power in your garage/kitchen that was out comes back on. if it does, the fuse that was originally there was blown.
when it comes to solving electrical problems, it always helps to start with the obvious first.
if this doesn't solve your problem, we can work from there.
if you don't want to buy one, take one out that you know works. then move the good fuse around to all the other fuse holders. after you change each fuse, go to check if the power in your garage/kitchen that was out comes back on. if it does, the fuse that was originally there was blown.
when it comes to solving electrical problems, it always helps to start with the obvious first.
if this doesn't solve your problem, we can work from there.
sensirocker
Member
grayarea said:
yes yes yes yes yes yes.... this is EXACTLY what happened.... but i still havent resolved the problem (long explanation below):
I JUST LEARNED that my roomate had the toaster oven AND the microwave going at the same time in the kitchen on this plug below (figure 1):
This is the plug closest to all of the plugs in my basement AND my garage that has no power, which is why i think greyarea may be right on this issue.
ok here are some pics of my electrical situation.... (figure 2)
Ok in this picture above you can see 3 electrical units.... the first is on top, a generic 2 plug box. The orange wire that you see coming down from it is my power strip that powers everything.... the 2 lights (800w), the blower, and a 4xt5 sun systems light.
Now previously (for the past 4 months), i connected everything to the white light fixture on the lower left through a bulb conversion-to-electrical outlet. (ugh i knnow all of you are cringing right now, im so sorry
)So when the crisis happened, that bulb conversion thing did not work what so ever.
So yesterday i was playing around and i decided to plug everything through that wierd ass brown box on the RIGHT of the white bulb thing. IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have no idea why. at all. here is an illustration of the situation to better understand it:
key:
w- white bulb thing on the lower left, which does not work
b- wierd brown box that everythign is now connected to
e- all of my light shit, blowers, etc...
> - this means they are connected
(the dots are just there because it wont keep the spaces in the post)
.................[power source] (from where? i dont know)
..........................|
..........................|
..to the breaker< [W]>
................................\/
...............................[E]
Ok, so now here is a picture of the breaker that everything goes to (figure 3):
now, before you go, holy shit dude, your going to blow your entire house up, i have been using the white bulb thing for the past 4 months with no issues whatsoever. It was only until my roommate used a toaster oven and a 1500w microwave on the plug pictured above (figure 2) the other night that everything crapped out.
SOOOOOO, my current plan is to wait until the lights turn off tonight and open up the plug in figure 2 and see if anything is blown, like greyarea suggested............
On another note, i have found a dryer outlet that is connected directly to the fuse box (figure 3) randomly next to my plant area..... im thinking that this would be a great NEW source of power for everything, because i know that weird shitty brown box will not last long, especially because its not grounded.
Does any one have any knowledge of taking a dryer plug and converting it to 110v with standard plugs? is there such a device? is this even a good idea?
sorry for the long reply, but i wanted to get everything, and you guys absolutely deserve it
-sR
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sR
Start with this...
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=47878
And please, safer is always safer...
Start with this...
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=47878
And please, safer is always safer...
sensirocker said:
Even if they look good they can be blown,they suck they are old but damn what was ya gonna do in the day in age they were being used ?
I suggest buying several and have found a loud fan on high will let ya know if ya got it if you have got to replace on your own as compared to running back and forth to see if that was the one.
Mr.Wags
sensirocker
Member
Thanks for your help guys,
I have decided to take advantage of the open 240v plug that is connected directly to the fuse box and purchase a 240v step down voltage transformer rated at 2000w. 60 bucks on ebay shipped. What do you guys think?
I have decided to take advantage of the open 240v plug that is connected directly to the fuse box and purchase a 240v step down voltage transformer rated at 2000w. 60 bucks on ebay shipped. What do you guys think?
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Guest
I think if your roomate burnt out that receptacle,I lost that bet bigtime lol.
G
Guest
Instead of spending your money on a transformer why not pull out the 40 or 50 AMP breaker and replace with 2-20 AMP breakers? Problem solved and you have a lot more safe electricity?
GCG
GCG
Yes I agree with GarlicCity. You can change that dryer box to a 50 amp (or whatever the breaker is to the dryer) sub panel with 2 legs of 110V and 3 or 4 separate 15 amp circuits. It might need a neutral line run...not a job for a noob!
The transformer is expensive and will waste electricity as heat and noise. Transformers are not very efficient. One of the reasons why ballasts are going digital...
I believe that panel in the pic is a sub panel, not your main panel. Find where the main power line comes in the house and see if there is another breaker box. There should also be a main breaker switch for the entire house. It may be outside. Does the power line come in off a pole or underground?
Also, the first red breaker (second one down) in the picture looks tripped to me. Did you try flicking it off and on all the way both ways? Maybe try again if you did. Sometimes they look reset but they are still tripped. Push hard both ways.
Absolutely the toaster and nuker together will blow a fuse. Done it myself a few times.
Good luck!
The transformer is expensive and will waste electricity as heat and noise. Transformers are not very efficient. One of the reasons why ballasts are going digital...
I believe that panel in the pic is a sub panel, not your main panel. Find where the main power line comes in the house and see if there is another breaker box. There should also be a main breaker switch for the entire house. It may be outside. Does the power line come in off a pole or underground?
Also, the first red breaker (second one down) in the picture looks tripped to me. Did you try flicking it off and on all the way both ways? Maybe try again if you did. Sometimes they look reset but they are still tripped. Push hard both ways.
Absolutely the toaster and nuker together will blow a fuse. Done it myself a few times.
Good luck!
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Guest
dude, that first pic you posted is a pic of a gfci. your roomy might have fried out that device. open it up, look to see if you have wires on the line and load side . on the back of the plug it should say line on top half and load on bottom half.
if the load is hooked up and the plug doesn't work, you can tell if it doesn't work if the test button doesn't pop out when pressed.
then everything tied to the load side of the gfci WON"T WORK.
if the load is hooked up and the plug doesn't work, you can tell if it doesn't work if the test button doesn't pop out when pressed.
then everything tied to the load side of the gfci WON"T WORK.
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sensirocker
Member
HeadyPete said:Yes I agree with GarlicCity. You can change that dryer box to a 50 amp (or whatever the breaker is to the dryer) sub panel with 2 legs of 110V and 3 or 4 separate 15 amp circuits. It might need a neutral line run...not a job for a noob!
The transformer is expensive and will waste electricity as heat and noise. Transformers are not very efficient. One of the reasons why ballasts are going digital...
I believe that panel in the pic is a sub panel, not your main panel. Find where the main power line comes in the house and see if there is another breaker box. There should also be a main breaker switch for the entire house. It may be outside. Does the power line come in off a pole or underground?
Also, the first red breaker (second one down) in the picture looks tripped to me. Did you try flicking it off and on all the way both ways? Maybe try again if you did. Sometimes they look reset but they are still tripped. Push hard both ways.
Absolutely the toaster and nuker together will blow a fuse. Done it myself a few times.
Good luck!
thank you thoro, and garlic.... i think im getting to the bottom of this problem....
I agree with you that i shouldnt get that transformer, i would rather have safe electricty
headypete - yes, i do have another breaker outside of my house with 4 of those old circle fuses.... my electricity comes up from a pole, not underground.... im going to replace all of the fuses tonight and i am also borrowing a volt meter from a friend so im going to go through the entire basment and kitchen and check whats getting power and whats not.
until then.....
-sR
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Guest
mice?
sensirocker
Member
Well guys, today was bittersweet. I changed all of the fuses except the newer 25amp one on the outdoor panel, pictured below:
No luck..... then i went downstairs and tried reseting the breakers on the panel with no luck either..... for all of you wondering about the red one, its moved all the way over, it just sits different that the other ones.....
HOWEVERRRRRR, while all of this may seem terrible, when i was practically at the end of the line with no options in sight, sweating from running around the house, i looked up and found a completely random and hidden plug in the basement with a breaker connected to it.... pictured below:
when i found it i got so excited, and hoped dearly that the fuse inside it was the broken one and everything would be fixed, but it wasnt.... the plug and fuse work fine.... while i am disapointed that this wasnt the main fix, i am extremely happy that i now have a safe source of power for my grow.....
So, im not sure if i will ever fix this problem.... i opened up the kitchen plug:
and tested the two wires coming into it for power with a voltage meter, and they had nothing... this means that the plug is probably ok, but there is probably some random ass breaker somewhere in the house that i will probably never find....
i would call my rental company and tell them to come and fix it, but obviously i cant let them into my basement where all of the electrical is, nor can i let any other electrician.....
so what do you guys think?
No luck..... then i went downstairs and tried reseting the breakers on the panel with no luck either..... for all of you wondering about the red one, its moved all the way over, it just sits different that the other ones.....
HOWEVERRRRRR, while all of this may seem terrible, when i was practically at the end of the line with no options in sight, sweating from running around the house, i looked up and found a completely random and hidden plug in the basement with a breaker connected to it.... pictured below:
when i found it i got so excited, and hoped dearly that the fuse inside it was the broken one and everything would be fixed, but it wasnt.... the plug and fuse work fine.... while i am disapointed that this wasnt the main fix, i am extremely happy that i now have a safe source of power for my grow.....
So, im not sure if i will ever fix this problem.... i opened up the kitchen plug:
and tested the two wires coming into it for power with a voltage meter, and they had nothing... this means that the plug is probably ok, but there is probably some random ass breaker somewhere in the house that i will probably never find....
i would call my rental company and tell them to come and fix it, but obviously i cant let them into my basement where all of the electrical is, nor can i let any other electrician.....
so what do you guys think?
Been tryin to tell you about that hidden breaker! Those old houses always have multiple breakers. Worst case scenario, the house got renovated and it got walled in. Stupid yes but it happens. If you searched back and forth, inside and outside, basement and attic, etc and can't find it, you might as well just work with your alternate power source. It sucks but its better than having to call someone in.
