diy/2588719.txt

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--- 2588719
The lights in my house randomly flicker, sometimes for a few minutes at a time. the APCs that my computers are plugged into have a red indicator light on the back that states "Wiring fault" and sometimes will switch on to battery power over and over after powering on a pc or someone using a hair dryer. so I got a tester and every single outlet says that ground is open. everything I have read from brainlets online claim the tester must be broken and give no other advice. but I tested it at another house and it works fine. how do I go about fixing this without killing myself or burning down my house? I can't afford an electrician right now and its kinda concerning.
--- 2588724
>>2588719 (OP)
Go find your grounding rod outside and make sure the wire is actually on it.
--- 2588726
>>2588724
that will be under the panel correct?
--- 2588736
>>2588719 (OP)
>how do I go about fixing this without killing myself or burning down my house?
Electrician.
>I can't afford an electrician right now
Check your home insurance policy and decide if the payout will cover rebuilding your entire life. Think about your life choices.
--- 2588741
>>2588736
you're 10x more dramatic than the redditors claiming the tester is faulty.
--- 2588810
>>2588736
This
--- 2588812
>>2588736
>>2588810
>t. electrician
--- 2588823
>how do i do x?
>You need to do y. If you cant do a y, you need a z and there is no other option.
>I cant do y. How do i do it without a y and without using z?
>You cant.
>Bullshit give me the answer!
A /diy/ tale as old as the board
--- 2588828
>>2588823
not OP. this is a place to discuss it. perhaps reddit is more your speed
--- 2588831
>>2588719 (OP)
You don't know enough about wiring to find the problem yourself.
Nobody on the internet can find the problem in your wiring, any suggestions you'd find here would just be grasping at straws.
You need someone who knows how electrical wiring works, and they need to be there on site to look things over and find the problem.
Call an electrician.
--- 2588851
I just bought a house, and the wiring in the house was so fucked up that my electrician spent all day in the basement, and when they left all the open grounds on my second floor were properly grounded. 

You have no idea what kind of crackhead did the wiring in your house to get it the way it is. If you don't know what you're doing right away, call an electrician. Its not cheap, but its the best way to ensure you actually get to LIVE in your house.
--- 2588860
>>2588823
simply saying get an electrician is great advice from the DIY board. thanks man. kill youself please.
--- 2588888
>>2588860
the DIY method is to take +200 hours of classes and whatever other requirements there are to become a licensed electrician in your area, and then do it yourself

There's a reason this board isn't for teaching amateurs how to do open heart surgery
--- 2588890
>>2588823
lol yes
classic
--- 2588891
>>2588888
idk man i just type 'how to x' into youtube, watch a couple 10 minute videos, and can do most things myself. lots of people are retarded so it might not be so easy for them, but also lots of electricians are retarded so i think it's still good advice.
--- 2588898
>>2588891
any youtuber worth their weight in salt will give a disclaimer about doing shit like rewiring a house when you don't have any professional training. This isnt just about protecting you, its about protecting everyone in your house and your fucking neighbors from you starting a house fire
--- 2588901
>>2588898
kek you sound like a butthurt electrician/rentoid.
--- 2588917
>>2588719 (OP)
Find the ground fault and repair it or call an electrician if you're too stupid or terrified to do it yourself.
--- 2588918
>>2588901
nope, I'm>>2588851
I just know what I can, can't, and shouldn't do. Anything that, if done wrong, will kill someone is something I won't do. Taught myself to do HVAC in this house and have a scar on my hand from where a duct slipped and cut me open. but that isn't a danger to anybody but me. An electrical fire that starts in my walls is something that can affect more people than just me
--- 2588938
>>2588918
>Anything that, if done wrong, will kill someone is something I won't do
so you take your car to a mechanic to replace your brake pads? lmao
--- 2588942
>>2588918
You don't need a license to do your own electrical.

Stop fear mongering. Most people pp hires are gonna be.dumber than him and do a worse job anyway.

You sound like a desperate union electrician.

Op should probably do some research and own a multimeter and shit and figure out what is wrong though instead of asking 4chan 'duh what do-

Well according to your little light you n have an ope. Ground, this doesn't explain your light flickering at all though
--- 2588949
>>2588942
>Most people pp hires are gonna be.dumber than him and do a worse job anyway.
Bro he doesn't understand how to diagnose a primary ground fault in his home, banking on him being intelligent is not a wise decision.
--- 2588954
>>2588938
considering my day trade is being a mechanic, yes

>>2588942
Do you want the nigger that lives next door to you doing their own wiring without any experience? cause I sure as fuck don't
--- 2588959
>>2588954
oh look the commissar wants to ban people from doing work on their own house. lmao get that commie shit outta here.
--- 2588968
>>2588959
Are you the dude who made his house entirely out of doors
--- 2588973
>>2588968
no but that sounds awesome.
--- 2589006
/diy/ is the most egotistical board
--- 2589032
>>2588726
--- 2589035
>>2588741
--- 2589037
>>2588860
OP doesn't know what he's doing no one here is going to be able to tell him the problem. just speculate.
--- 2589039
>>2588719 (OP)
step 1
go to youtube
step 2
search for how to troubleshoot ground faults
step 3
say thank you.
--- 2589040
>>2588954
You still have to pull the permit and get the inspection even if you do your own work. If the guy next door does it without attending to those things first, then he would have anyway (cause he ain't no bootlicker, amiright?).
--- 2589045
>>2589040
you don't need a permit to repair electrical, only if you are going to redo the whole thing.
--- 2589121
>>2589045
>...doing their own wiring...

Doing their own wiring is not a "repair" and would require a permit.
--- 2589227
>>2589121
>require a permit
Not in my town.
--- 2589256
>>2588860
Kek this is peak /diy/ in all its retarded glory
--- 2589373
>>2589121
sure it is.
--- 2589420
If the ground is open you need to find where the ground is and close it. Find a way to close it forever so you will not need to keep closing it.
--- 2589425
>>2589420
Shut up

I've encountered this problem before. electricity is having difficulty passing through. you need a tool called a wire plunger. It is a very used tool and you should be able to find it easily. it's worth looking at your local hardware store rather than the internet because of the low price.
--- 2591847
>>2588719 (OP)
Lost neutral. Call the electric company.
--- 2591860
>>2588719 (OP)
Maybe start with a picture of your electrical panel.
Mine has a big, fat green wire leading in from the outside.
--- 2591863
>>2588719 (OP)
>what should I do?
Call an electrician
>I can't afford an electrician
Can you afford to die in an electrical fire?

>>2588860
You're right, we should teach a complete retard how to be an electrician instead. 

>>2589040
You guys and your fucking permits. You don't need a permit for an electrical repair.

>>2591847
If it's not a problem with the incoming power the electric company is gonna tell you go fuck yourself.

You can't DIY everything. Sometimes its better to get a pro instead of fucking around and making it worse.
--- 2591899
I think the sheilding on most wires sucks so a karoke mic might pick up the feedback/groud loop if the amp is on the same circut. fox and hound stuff.
--- 2592001
>>2591863
Professional electricians caused the problem in the first place. They had their chance.
--- 2592015
How old is your house? Wouldn't surprise me if those outlets don't have an actual ground.
--- 2592031
>>2588719 (OP)
Open up your electric panel
See if you have any actual grounding wires

If you don't have a black, a white AND a third wire in each run into the box, your shit isn't grounded

To pass an inspection with ungrounded wiring, you need to install GFCIs at the beginning of each run to ensure your house doesn't burn down (they'll blow if they sense some bullshut in the current)

I assume you have knob and tube (ungrounded) wiring that has everything run off of 2 circuits
It might also be double nylon shielded wiring (also no ground, equally as dangerous)
Simply run each hot wire through a new box and install a blank GFCI receptacle in their own new boxes right next to the panel and label them

If your shit *is* grounded (unlikely), you can bond the grounding rail (where the bare/green wires screw in) to your water line where it enters the house

Having an electrician come out for $70 or so to actually diagnose the situation is legitimately good advice as he would be able to tell you the extent of how fucked your shit is.
You've made it clear that you don't know enough about this to get involved
I assume your shit isbold enough you can't shut off power to your panel anyway and would need to get the power company involved to truly fix the problem anyway
Most places require an electrician to do this
--- 2592051
>>2592001
--- 2592122
Either you've a bad connection or something is shorting. Either way, it could burn your house down.

Get it fixed.
--- 2592278
>>2588959
>oh look the commissar wants to ban people from doing work on their own house. lmao get that commie shit outta here.
--- 2592286
>>2592278
tony hawk pro skater lookin' room
--- 2592289
>>2588719 (OP)
I do property management and the multiple times I've gotten this report, wiring on the electric meter was broken.
Call your utility company first. Tell them you're having those issues and ask to check that the meter is connected well.
If that is working, then it is likely wiring going into your breaker panel and you have to call an electrician. Don't ever fuck around with your panel wiring.
--- 2592548
>>2592278
what are the approved materials that will you graciously allow people to build their own furniture out of once you're supreme chairman?
--- 2592882
>>2592548
This peasant would also like to know what I will be allowed to build furniture out of in the supreme chairmans society
--- 2594932
>>2588719 (OP)
Dropped neutral

Electrical utility might fix if it’s on their end
--- 2594935
>>2594932
--- 2594950
>>2594935
If you cant read a basic split phase diagram, maybe you shouldnt mess with electricity. Im European and even I know how the retarded yankee split phase system works.
--- 2595329
>>2588719 (OP)
Lights in the whole house flickering? Sounds like a bad neutral coming into the house. Call the power company to come inspect their side of the service, depending on where you are it is free.
The open ground should not be a problem, necessarily, and has nothing to do with flickering circuits.
Dropping the neutral does. The neutral is the white wire in the boxes except sometimes not in lights and switches. Start with just receptacles. Turn off the breaker that gives power to the circuit in question- always- this is your first and only option- you don't know shit so turn it off.
Find all the things that no longer work with your plug tester and which lights it may also include.
Remove the plate covers from each of those receptacles and slowly unscrew the top and bottom screws holding them to the box in the wall. Pull the whole thing out of the wall. You are looking for burned, cracked or disconnected wires. Blacks marks, soot or melted plastic are sure signs there is your problem, but that may not be the only one damaged. Replace with brand new devices, buy the $2 commercial 20 amp plugs from the hardware store because they are easier for idiots to put on correctly.
White wire to silver screws, black wire to gold colored screws, bare copper to green ground screw. Teh $2 recs have pressure plates, strip 1/2inch of wire from end and stick in the holes and screw the plate down on them. the $0.50 receptacles you need to make a hook and go around the side screws to terminate. tighten the screw down around the wire, there are tons of idiots on youtube doing this that know jack shit about electrical. you can do it too.
Open ground- there is a possibility that your house is of the age with no ground wires in it. While the box is open, look for a bare ground wire for each white and black wires in the box. they need to be tied together and hooked to the devices. you can buy a bag of pigtails with #12 wire at the hardware store most of the time, get those it is easier.
--- 2595338
>>2595329
If you have metal boxes this works, not metal then you have a ground wire and need to make pigtails. maybe get some 3 and 4 slot wago connectors instead and a 25 foot roll of #12 green ground wire. cut 9 inch pieces to joint them out and tie to the receptacles. Carefully fan fold the wires back in the box after this and screw everything back in place. Metal boxes wrap each device with electrical tape, 1.5 times around the screws on the outside. don't let wires touch the metal. 
After each device is checked turn the circuit back on. Fixed? great
NO? Fuck you, hire an electrician.
you can turn off the panel main and check the terminals for all of the bare ground wires and white wires that go into the same bar on the sides, top or bottom. The mains power is still live and can/will kill you if you fucking touch it. Hire an electrician if this scares you.
Those screws need to be snug on the wires in the bar; lightly tug on them until you find the one that moves or conversely trace the wire going to the breaker you turned off- trace that black wire to where it enters the panel, then follow the white and bare grounds to the screws they terminate under on the ground and neutral bars. See if they have broken off under the screw. strip 1/2 inch and put it back under screw if broken.
Fuck you hire an electrician time. the neutral in the panel, is the last resort to touch and tighten. this may be loose. hire an electrician to fix it or tighten to 125 inch, 150, 200inch pounds or whatever the label inside the panel says to tighten the main neutral lug to. this can kill you if the main power is still on. if you have no main breaker- hire an electrician.
--- 2595340
>>2595338
the main neutral may also cause an arc flash when you wiggle it.
you will wish it had killed you.
--- 2595357
>>2595329
This is solid advice. I wouldn't just put 20 amp outlets in if it's not a 20 amp circuit. Realistically no problem if your breakers work properly but still. I'd definitely lean towards an issue between the pole and panel if it's the whole house going off.

>>2595338
I'd definitely call the PoCo to check their end. I've seen meters do some weird things when they fail like dropping an entire side. Weirdest and no one could explain it but 80 volts on one leg 130 on the other. A new meter fixed it.


I'd pull the panel cover and if it's nothing obvious have them come out and check their equipment. While you have them out there have them pull the can and check all your connections in the panel if you don't feel comfortable with touching a live main lug. If all that comes back good it's in the house and you can test them more safely.
It depends on your service provider though, a lot will treat everything from weatherhead down, aside from their meter, as your responsibility.
--- 2595485
>>2588719 (OP)
Could be power supply on computer trying to blow, can ruin computer and drives if true, could be short in your house wiring, unplu computers for few days to check, if still flickers call electrician, can be very dangerous, sometimes short is in air conditioning unit or something, sometimes just one outlet, sometimes in the powerbox
--- 2595535
>>2594950
It is because you are special on the internet

>>2589420
>>2589425
With this level of detail, here is your solution
--- 2595557
>>2588719 (OP)
Happened at my place. My UPS would constantly trigger and lights all over the house would flicker even after replacing my lightbulbs and unplugging my ups.

Turns out the pole connection to my roof main panel connector was worn out over time.

Power utility company sent someone out randomly without telling me and he just jumped my fence and went in my roof to rewrap the connection.

Solved the flickering lights and UPS going bananas.
--- 2595568
>>2589121
>p-please
>i pay my taxes on time
>i filled out your forms
>paid the fee
>i need to fix my house
>i need your approval
>please let me fix my house
--- 2595603
>>2588719 (OP)

the fact that is affecting majority of your lights and power outlets tells me that you have a bad earth in your house. it should be around the outside, or in the basement. see if its connected properly, not oxidised.

if you find it to be bad condition. turn the mains switch off and repair it. they are usually clamped to an earth rod and the copper earth wire can perish over time especially in colder damp climates. if it has. 

it may be good idea to replace a length of it and attach it to the existing with a lug crimp connector.
--- 2595787
>>2588719 (OP)
>ground is open
That shit is dangerous, man.
--- 2597066
>>2588736
For I concur.
--- 2598166
>>2588736
kek, pussy
>t electrician
--- 2599222
>>2595787
>connects neutral to ground behind socket
nothing personnel
--- 2599297
>>2599222
>not connecting live to ground behind socket
NGMI
--- 2599335
>>2588860
>/diy/ grant this faggot the knowledge 
>To call a pro for things I shouldn't fix;
>Courage to fix the things I can;
>And wisdom to know the difference
--- 2599342
why do you fucking tourists pretend that home wiring is hard
with enough googling anybody able to function in society should be able to do it
just don't touch shit before you understand what you should be doing and how
--- 2599348
>>2599342
Because if you go around fucking with your house wiring and don't get it at least signed off by an electrician you insurance policy isn't worth the paper it's written on.
--- 2599500
>>2599348
This is Fudd


Electrician hands wrote this.
--- 2599601
>>2599348
they won't be able to prove it was you
--- 2600006
>>2599601
They don't need to prove it was you. All they have to point out is that the wiring wasn't up to code, and that's on you. Those greedy bastards will also use that to get out of paying any claims, including those that have nothing to do with the electrical system like a burst pipe. Doesn't matter if you fucked up the wiring or the previous owner did, it's on you to make sure your wiring is up to code and they have a clause in the contract that states so. You're also opening yourself up for criminal negligence charges if anything happens to someone and will be responsible for any damages as well, and that's assuming you don't harm yourself in the process of fixing shit. Save yourself some potentially serious trouble, get an electrician to fix the damn thing, it shouldn't cost too much, no where near the amount that someone owning his own house doesn't have laying around. We're talking about maybe a few hundred dollars, who doesn't have that much laying around but owns a house?
--- 2600219
>>2600006
This is all just a lie. Up to code? Up to what code? When the house was built in 1960? If your breakers are sized right everything else is just a lie they're making up. If they're gonna try and fuck you then they're gonna fuck you no matter what. they don't know shit about how your house burnt down and they'll just make up some shit whether it's true or not and there's nothing you could do to stop it except take them to court and hire a different expert witness to say the opposite of everything their expert says, then the jury will give you a billion dollars because everyone hates insurance companies.
--- 2600723
question for american/canadian electricians.

why is your three phase voltage 440V when the single phase is 220V? Don't you use root 3 to calculate it or are you just lazy and do the same as split phase and add them together?

does every house have its own center-tapped transformer dropping 220V to 110V or do your distribution piles carry both three phase power lines and split phase power lines?
--- 2600742
>>2600723
Distribution isn't usually 3 phase here in residential areas. Not every house has a transformer, but like, every 4 ish.
--- 2600743
>>2600723
Ohvsorry I didn't read your question right.

Each house gets 240v from the transformer. The neutral/ground from the transformer is the same and center tapped between each leg of the 240v, that's where the 120v comes from. The whole house has 240v available, you just need to put in a breaker for it. Houses dont have their own transformer.
--- 2600751
>>2600219
To take your example any expert, who the insurance company will have on retainer, will be able to tell the difference between '60s wiring and newly installed wire. Considering all the reg changes to wire throughout the years they could tell within a years when it was installed by just examining it.
If your house burns down and they pull out a length of new wire without an electricians cert signing off on it then poof goes your claim.
Happens all the time, insurance companies are slimy cunts who know all the tricks to avoid paying out
--- 2600761
>>2600751
So you just pay your expert to say 'well turns out that wire had nothing to do with it anyway. It burned down because the neighborhood was being culturally enriched.'

If you did some bad work that caused the fire? Sure. If your work was fine and up to code anyway? Fuck off.
--- 2600768
>>2600761
You got 10's of thousands to file a lawsuit against a company who consider 100s of thousands in lawyers fees just the cost of doing business?
> If your work was fine and up to code anyway?
It doesn't work like that and never did, in the real world paperwork nearly always trumps actual work and if you don't have the paperwork to support you then your screwed
--- 2600813
>>2600768
Yes. As soon as it hits a jury the jury will say 'yeah fuck the insurance company's

Get out of here electrojew
--- 2600832
>>2599348
this is completely wrong and ignorant about how insurance claims work.
Homeowners insurance pays out on losses due to faulty wiring unless they have reason to think that it was actually arson/intentional damage.
Insurance wouldn't be worth a fuck if all they had to do was show that some work wasn't up to code.... This is just a dumb boomer wives tale
--- 2600899
>>2588724
Bumping this because this is the most sensible thing to start with.
--- 2600979
>>2600006
no
almost no house is fully up to code (even up to code of the time it was built)
if it was all it takes to get out of paying then insurance would be useless anyway and not worth caring about anyway
--- 2601214
>>2592001