Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Lost power... is this a cabinet/lighting problem?
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Treasure
10-28-05, 07:15 AM
I wasnt really sure where to post this. This is my first post here but have been reading fora few weeks now. Today I was using my blowdryer in the bathroom which plugs into a OLD medicine cabinet light fixture thing. This probably isnt realated, but it might be signifcant. As i was blowdrying I got a HUGE chill like someone dumped ice down my shirt. Next thing that happened the lights and blowdryer went off.
Thinking I just blew a ciricuit or something I went to the circuit box. Everythings on. The electricity i have in there is of that cabinet and then there is the ceiling fan vent thing. That works.
If i turn on and off all the circuits and go back into the bathroom and hit the switch I hear a "pop", but no electricity. I feel like twice i felt a electric current in the light switch but I dont know if that is in my head. I am one of those people (whether you beleive in it or no) who short everything anyway, almost every cash register, lights always flicker, computers short if i am mad or aggrivated, etc. so I am weary of electricity. But I dont think this one is my fault :rolleyes: But I dont know what to do.
Is it possible that wiring in the wall is bad? Or the cabinet itself? And how do I find out?
I am thinking if I call a electricition we are talking 100's of dollars and i dont even have enough for my mortgage this month. Do i have no other choice on who to call?
Thinking I just blew a ciricuit or something I went to the circuit box. Everythings on. The electricity i have in there is of that cabinet and then there is the ceiling fan vent thing. That works.
If i turn on and off all the circuits and go back into the bathroom and hit the switch I hear a "pop", but no electricity. I feel like twice i felt a electric current in the light switch but I dont know if that is in my head. I am one of those people (whether you beleive in it or no) who short everything anyway, almost every cash register, lights always flicker, computers short if i am mad or aggrivated, etc. so I am weary of electricity. But I dont think this one is my fault :rolleyes: But I dont know what to do.
Is it possible that wiring in the wall is bad? Or the cabinet itself? And how do I find out?
I am thinking if I call a electricition we are talking 100's of dollars and i dont even have enough for my mortgage this month. Do i have no other choice on who to call?
John Nelson
10-28-05, 04:34 PM
Some of those old medicine cabinet fixtures are labeled for use with an electric razor only. That means that they have limited power output.
If that's not it, then there are two common causes of what you experienced. One is a tripped GFCI. It is possible that the tripped GFCI is a very long ways away from your bathroom. It could be in the garage, the basement, outdoors, or in another bathroom. Even homes originally wired without GFCI often have had GFCI added later.
The other main possibility is an open neutral. When a large current flows though a wire, it heats it up, and that often causes poor connections to fail. One of the poorest of all connections are those poke-in-the-hole "backstab" connections. Again, the problem could be a long ways from this bathroom. In fact, it could be at any electrical box on the circuit, even one that is working just fine.
If you have a dead receptacle with three holes (and it is legally grounded), then the easiest way to narrow this down to one of the above two cases is to invest $8 at your home center in an outlet tester, one of those things that has three lights and plugs into a receptacle.
Once you narrow it down, we can suggest ways to find and fix the problem.
If that's not it, then there are two common causes of what you experienced. One is a tripped GFCI. It is possible that the tripped GFCI is a very long ways away from your bathroom. It could be in the garage, the basement, outdoors, or in another bathroom. Even homes originally wired without GFCI often have had GFCI added later.
The other main possibility is an open neutral. When a large current flows though a wire, it heats it up, and that often causes poor connections to fail. One of the poorest of all connections are those poke-in-the-hole "backstab" connections. Again, the problem could be a long ways from this bathroom. In fact, it could be at any electrical box on the circuit, even one that is working just fine.
If you have a dead receptacle with three holes (and it is legally grounded), then the easiest way to narrow this down to one of the above two cases is to invest $8 at your home center in an outlet tester, one of those things that has three lights and plugs into a receptacle.
Once you narrow it down, we can suggest ways to find and fix the problem.