garage light gets brighter when plugging in

[mikec35]

my battery charger. I have a dead mower battery and when I plugged it into the outlet in the garage the overhead lights pulsed an got brighter. Any suggestions what this might be? Thx

 

[Burtonrider10022]

Clearly your battery starts powering the lights!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

If this is a multi wire circuit, it could have a loose neutral. You could still have a loose neutral in the system.

Charles

 

[mikec35]

I do have multiple ceiling lights, and the previous owner left 2 wires for 2 more fixtures. They are not connected to anything yet. Think this could be the problem?

Thanks

 

[Gary S]

The unused wires shouldn't be an issue. Like Charles already said, look for loose wires where power is being drawn.

 

[c4cruiser]

Also look for any loose wire nuts within the fixtures or wherever there are junction boxes.

 

[eljefino]

Do you have magnetic ballast T12s per chance? Mine flicker a bit and do that "milky dance" for a second when my 6 amp buzz box charger starts up. I'll have to have a radio on next time to see if it's RF interference.

 

[porcupine73]

Right if it's just in the garage it could be a poor neutral connection somewhere along the line assuming you've got 240/120vac running out there. On mwbc I've noticed the longer the run/smaller the gauge wire, the more pronounced this effect will be.

Once many years ago I was in a home where this effect seemed to happen throughout the house and it was very noticeable, lights getting brighter and dimmer as well pump cycled and other loads. It eventually turned out something was flaky in the pole transformer neutral so the pco replaced it and then it was fine.

 

[ForceFed70]

I eljefino suspect cheap/old ballasts in his light fixures.