Electricians...need help.

[BotanyBoy]

So whole circuit is dies when my de-humidifier kicks on right? It was random and I've been running the exact same load on that circuit for at least 6 weeks.

So I go check the breaker and none appear thrown. I grab the one for the dead circuit and turn it off. Go unplug all the crap from it and turn it back on again. Nothing, but a few min later the thing comes on, so I go and plug my shit in, runs a min and then dies....
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/52898175.jpg

Flipped it again, no dice. Now it's just dead.

It's not a GFCI ....which seems to be the only google answer. At least I haven't seen any GFCI's on or in any of the outlets or junction box and all connections appear to be quite secure.

Suggestions?

Bad breaker maybe? It's all 110 on a 15A...btw

 

[possum123]

See if there is a GFCI in the circuit anywhere. Sometimes they will do that if they are wired in wrong.

 

[BotanyBoy]

See if there is a GFCI in the circuit anywhere. Sometimes they will do that if they are wired in wrong.

No GFCI anywhere in the circuit, unless hidden in wall...=\ that would suck.

 

[Skiddles2014]

So everything runs fine with the dehum not plugged in, but when you plug the dehum back in within a minute it shuts it all down?

If this is the case I would plug dehum into another circuit and run it. If you have an amp probe then check the draw. It could be the compressor seizing.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

Replace the breaker.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I had that happen when I moved into my new place. I swore it wasn't a GFCI issue, then come to find out there was a popped GFCI in the walk-in bedroom closet....who the hell wires a GFCI outlet in a closet?

I suspect you've got a hidden one somewhere.

 

[BotanyBoy]

So everything runs fine with the dehum not plugged in, but when you plug the dehum back in within a minute it shuts it all down?

If this is the case I would plug dehum into another circuit and run it. If you have an amp probe then check the draw. It could be the compressor seizing.

It did. not the circuit is just dead...I got nothing...but it doesn't throw the breaker.

Moved the dehum, no problems, thing is brand new nice GE portable 65 pint I think, with like a weeks run time on it and it's not freaking other circuits out.

Replace the breaker.

I suppose that might be the cheapest way to find out if I really need to call in the big gunz and dole out the cash for someone who knows moar than I do.

I had that happen when I moved into my new place. I swore it wasn't a GFCI issue, then come to find out there was a popped GFCI in the walk-in bedroom closet....who the hell wires a GFCI outlet in a closet?

I suspect you've got a hidden one somewhere.

Yea I know....I've been digging and looking all over, can't find one and it was built in 74 so I'm starting to think it unlikely, but I had one buried in the wall (they just dry walled over it when they finished the garage out) before and the electritian we called out had this beepy thinggy that tracked it, and we had to punch a hole/reset/repair. So I'm not ruling it out either...

Le sigh...
http://memecrunch.com/meme/1ZK84/fuck-my-life/image.jpg

 

[Skiddles2014]

It did. not the circuit is just dead...I got nothing...but it doesn't throw the breaker.

Moved the dehum, no problems, thing is brand new nice GE portable 65 pint I think, with like a weeks run time on it and it's not freaking other circuits out.



I suppose that might be the cheapest way to find out if I really need to call in the big gunz and dole out the cash for someone who knows moar than I do.



Yea I know....I've been digging and looking all over, can't find one and it was built in 74 so I'm starting to think it unlikely, but I had one buried in the wall (they just dry walled over it when they finished the garage out) before and the electritian we called out had this beepy thinggy that tracked it, and we had to punch a hole/reset/repair. So I'm not ruling it out either...

Le sigh...

So the next thing I would do would be to open the electrical panel and move the wire from that circuit to a breaker that is working and see if it comes on. If it does, then bert is on the right track about a bad breaker.
Did you manually check the breaker or just look at it? A dead short won't throw the breaker all the way.

 

[removed121614]

What type of de-humidifier is it and can you specify the brand and model of it? Do you have a volt-ohm meter with you? Did you notice something strange before it stopped working? Was it noisy or did it give a bad smell?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Have we run the dehumidifier on another circuit?

 

[FGB]

I suspect a bad breaker but that doesn't make it so.

Plug in something that loads the breaker to 80% of it's rating( if it has a motor or compressor so much the better, and let it run for a while...maybe turn it off and on after awhile.

If this doesn't trip the breaker look to the device malfunctioning.

On off switches, loose wiring and overloads on motors and compressors as well as capacitors to go bad and cause trouble.

Be safe and take it slow.

Use a screwdriver with a insulated handle or throw the main breaker first before checking for loose screws on breakers. And a VOM/Amp meter would not hurt.

You could try switching breakers.

Good luck!

 

[BotanyBoy]

So the next thing I would do would be to open the electrical panel and move the wire from that circuit to a breaker that is working and see if it comes on. If it does, then bert is on the right track about a bad breaker.
Did you manually check the breaker or just look at it? A dead short won't throw the breaker all the way.

Yea I think that's what is happening next...Though I haven't even started cooking dinner or get a fire going for that matter and I might just do homework tonight and get back after it in the AM as it's getting dark as fuck fast and I don't have a head lamp handy.

Damn the days are getting short fast.

What type of de-humidifier is it and can you specify the brand and model of it? Do you have a volt-ohm meter with you? Did you notice something strange before it stopped working? Was it noisy or did it give a bad smell?

GE AHR65LM, it's like 6 weeks old. Nope it was working great.

Have we run the dehumidifier on another circuit?

Yea it worked for a cycle and then I pulled it to test other gear, it wasn't any of my appliances/equipment. I was however running about 70% load on that circuit....so maybe it got hot somewhere. I'm going to test the breaker and start pulling shit apart tomorrow. Never trouble shot a circuit in a house before, guess there is a first time for everything.

If all else fails I can always run a bunch of conduit, pull wire and set up new boxes. That almost seems like it would be easier/less frustrating/surefire but it also looks like I would drop about as much as I would paying someone else to fix it.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Hung any new pictures recently?

 

[BotanyBoy]

I suspect a bad breaker but that doesn't make it so.

Plug in something that loads the breaker to 80% of it's rating( if it has a motor or compressor so much the better, and let it run for a while...maybe turn it off and on after awhile.

If this doesn't trip the breaker look to the device malfunctioning.

On off switches, loose wiring and overloads on motors and compressors as well as capacitors to go bad and cause trouble.

Be safe and take it slow.

Use a screwdriver with a insulated handle or throw the main breaker first before checking for loose screws on breakers. And a VOM/Amp meter would not hurt.

You could try switching breakers.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips....I'm a fan of the service disconnect, because safety. LOL

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Open coils will do what you describe, depending on where the wire is broke when the wire expands from heat. You can open the de-humidifier and heat it with a hair dryer to see what happens. Open coils don't cause breakers to trip.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Hung any new pictures recently?

No I thought about that but I did pull a bunch of old nails out of the wall yesterday.

None of them were in studs and pulled out with the tug of a hand though....that may not necessarily mean much however, plastic is soft.

I did mount a water filter a couple weeks back and that was onto studs. Really out of the way for that circuit or any other though.

It could be that...

Damn it.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Electricity is a harsh mistress...



... I would fire up a fatty first.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Open coils will do what you describe, depending on where the wire is broke when the wire expands from heat. You can open the de-humidifier and heat it with a hair dryer to see what happens. Open coils don't cause breakers to trip.

Yea...I'm not using the de-hum anymore...circuit is still dead, that's the problem. I gotta fix that before I can worry about doing any more dehumidifying.

 

[Que]

Temporarily borrow a breaker from another circuit you don't even have to remove and replace the breaker just swap two wires. That'll save you a trip to the hardware store.

 

[Weird Harold]

Bad breaker maybe? It's all 110 on a 15A...btw

Double check the total amperage you're trying to run on that circuit. If you're running very close to that 15A limit, you may have slow-cooked the breaker.

The Symptoms do indicate a bad breaker, since you've looked for a popped GFI. But breakers usually don't go bad unless they've been 'stressed' for some time -- say about six weeks of 14.9999 Amps?

 

[BotanyBoy]

Temporarily borrow a breaker from another circuit you don't even have to remove and replace the breaker just swap two wires. That'll save you a trip to the hardware store.

Double check the total amperage you're trying to run on that circuit. If you're running very close to that 15A limit, you may have slow-cooked the breaker.

The Symptoms do indicate a bad breaker, since you've looked for a popped GFI. But breakers usually don't go bad unless they've been 'stressed' for some time -- say about six weeks of 14.9999 Amps?

Query I did that...and I thought it worked but no dice.

It's not the breaker....

So I moved it and when I turned everything back on I heard a click, it worked for like a min and then went off....totally dead again, it didn't throw the new breaker either but it's totally dead again.

I think I have a GFI, but it's not on any of the outlets on this circuit nor is it integrated into any of the breakers or part of the breaker box....I might actually have ANOTHER house with a hidden one in the wall. WTF is with entombing your breakers in sheet rock in CA? Really??

I was running just under 12A, but it's a 20A breaker (15's were above it, my bad) so being worn out from load? Not likely...

I'm could go hunt down some gear in town.

That could also just piss bucks out the door better spent on a pro who will handle my shit in a jiff and guarantee his work while I get other important shit done, like fixing the damn wood shed.

I checked my breakers and connections are all good and something is still fucked up. I feel fine with my level of due diligence of not being a totally worthless/inept by covering all the obvious stuff.

I'm just going to throw some dough at a pro and call it hitting the
http://globalmoxie.com/bm~pix/easy-button~s800x800.jpg
cuz it's just easier that way.

Thanks for helping me cover all my "oh well DUH!!!" points though everyone I appreciate it. Even the folks I generally bicker and shit talk with all the time, yes you too.

Electricity is a harsh mistress...



... I would fire up a fatty first.

Fuckin' eh man!

 

[possum123]

If you have a volt meter or even a test light you can check for a GFI easily.
Just check to see if you have power coming out of the breaker. If you still have power it would be likely you have a GFI. If there is no power at all you have some other problem.
We can talk you through this.

 

[chillywilly2]

I was betting bad breaker but since thats not it, I would be doing the easy button and calling a pro like you said.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I find opens (broke wires) are usually the culprits when the breaker is ok. The Chinks aren't noted for quality work.

 

[BotanyBoy]

If you have a volt meter or even a test light you can check for a GFI easily.
Just check to see if you have power coming out of the breaker. If you still have power it would be likely you have a GFI. If there is no power at all you have some other problem.
We can talk you through this.

It's got juice at the breaker...no juice anywhere else. The circuit is broken somewhere, and I did just pull a bunch of nails out of the wall no more than a foot above where 60%~ of the receptacles are.

So...

I find opens (broke wires) are usually the culprits when the breaker is ok. The Chinks aren't noted for quality work.

Yea...it's got to be one of the two and if it is a gfi it's likely got something to do with all them' there nails I been pullin' causing the gfi to trip.

I was betting bad breaker but since thats not it, I would be doing the easy button and calling a pro like you said.

Yea this is going to require wall bashing and all kinds of fuckin' messy and potentially hazardous shit. If my house is going to get fucked up/burnt down I want it to be at the hands an insured/licensed/bonded contractor, if at all possible.

General maintenance and easy replacement shit? No problem...

Start tearing into walls/foundations? I know my limitations....this isn't my barn where it's all external and e z p z and I just need it to work. Nope this is my house, I gotta live with the craftsmanship of the work, so back to that insured contractor....