Odd Electrical Problem

[RedSS454]

Experiencing a very strange electrical issue in my garage recently, and while i have an electrician coming to hopefully fix it, looking to see if maybe it’s something small i can fix.

Was doing some stuff in the garage the other day, and started to experience what i would call ‘strobing’. Everything would blink every few seconds-minute. I was not running anything off the electric besides a 12v trickle charger. Eventually, the lights would all go out. Maybe 20 minutes later would come back on, and shortly thereafter go out again.

I have two halves of my shop, one was wired probably 35 years ago, the second maybe 15 years ago. Never a problem. The older half i required 2 years ago with LED lights, other half has fluorescents. Friend who is an electrician came by, and only thing he found was one switch had the ground and neutral backwards, but he didn’t think that was the problem (especially as it worked for so long prior to the issue starting).

Same friend checked the panel, and the breaker was fine, except for the water coming in the panel. He waterproofed the meter for me, and the electrician that’s did the panel is coming to replace the all of the breakers. I had voltage across all breakers when he tested it, but said he sometimes had to work the rust off the lugs to get it.

This confuses me as it’s intermittent, and just kind of started. I’m not strong with electrical, hence the call to the real electrician. But is there maybe something simple i could look for in the mean time? Running a shop light from my house is getting annoying.

Thank you.

 

[Terry D]

Was it just the LEDs blinking or all the lights. LEDs will "strobe" when they don't have enough voltage to them. A neutral should not to be connected to a switch. Don't know what you mean by the ground and neutral were switched. If you have had water coming in a panel, there may be damage that you cannot see, you need to have someone remove the breakers and check the connection on the buss. Water will corrode the connection and bad things will start to happen. Bad connections create more amps, more amps create more heat, then things start to melt. You may have to replace that entire panel.

 

[RedSS454]

Was it just the LEDs blinking or all the lights. LEDs will "strobe" when they don't have enough voltage to them. A neutral should not to be connected to a switch. Don't know what you mean by the ground and neutral were switched. If you have had water coming in a panel, there may be damage that you cannot see, you need to have someone remove the breakers and check the connection on the buss. Water will corrode the connection and bad things will start to happen. Bad connections create more amps, more amps create more heat, then things start to melt. You may have to replace that entire panel.

Was all the lights, both LED and fluorescent, and now don’t have lights on either side, and no power to any outlets either. As far as the ground vs neutral, just giving you what my friend said. Breakers are being replaced Monday, and possibly the panel as well. Original electrician who did it will be fixing it under warranty.

 

[Terry D]

Was all the lights, both LED and fluorescent, and now don’t have lights on either side, and no power to any outlets either. As far as the ground vs neutral, just giving you what my friend said. Breakers are being replaced Monday, and possibly the panel as well. Original electrician who did it will be fixing it under warranty.

sounds like the issue is in the panel. Is this the main panel to the house or a sub to the garage. How long has the panel been installed

 

[RedSS454]

Panel is in the house, and is roughly two years old. No other parts of the house are effected currently. Although there is an exterior light in the house that is now out, although I’m not positive what circuit that’s on (inherited the house so still sifting through problems as i go)

 

[Terry D]

Panel is in the house, and is roughly two years old. No other parts of the house are effected currently. Although there is an exterior light in the house that is now out, although I’m not positive what circuit that’s on (inherited the house so still sifting through problems as i go)

Do you have a sub panel in the garage or is it just a circuit or two coming from the house.
Is the garage attached or detached

 

[RedSS454]

Detached garage, and just a circuit is out here. Power comes in under a patio (so that’s a major fear is having to tear that up).

 

[Bert_]

If the power if the power isn't working right now then it should be pretty easy to trace back to the exact problem.

 

[teamextreme]

You have a a loose/intermittent connection. Now that's it's completely dead is the ideal and easy time to troubleshoot it and find the issue, as Bert said. Use a voltage tester to see where the voltage has dropped off. Could also be very possible it's a loose neutral too, so check neutral connections where power enters shop and at main panel. Check for loose connections at terminals and in wire nuts.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Experiencing a very strange electrical issue in my garage recently, and while i have an electrician coming to hopefully fix it, looking to see if maybe it’s something small i can fix.

Was doing some stuff in the garage the other day, and started to experience what i would call ‘strobing’. Everything would blink every few seconds-minute. I was not running anything off the electric besides a 12v trickle charger. Eventually, the lights would all go out. Maybe 20 minutes later would come back on, and shortly thereafter go out again.

I have two halves of my shop, one was wired probably 35 years ago, the second maybe 15 years ago. Never a problem. The older half i required 2 years ago with LED lights, other half has fluorescents. Friend who is an electrician came by, and only thing he found was one switch had the ground and neutral backwards, but he didn’t think that was the problem (especially as it worked for so long prior to the issue starting).

what do you mean by backwards? If this is a basic snap-switch, then neutral doesnt go to the switch and the ground just terminates on the switch. IF the neutral was going to the ground terminal on the switch, then how did the lights work without a neutral?

Do you have a picture of what he found here?

Same friend checked the panel, and the breaker was fine, except for the water coming in the panel. He waterproofed the meter for me, and the electrician that’s did the panel is coming to replace the all of the breakers. I had voltage across all breakers when he tested it, but said he sometimes had to work the rust off the lugs to get it.

This confuses me as it’s intermittent, and just kind of started. I’m not strong with electrical, hence the call to the real electrician. But is there maybe something simple i could look for in the mean time? Running a shop light from my house is getting annoying.

Thank you.

Is this panel back to back with the meter? How was the water getting into the meter pan and what did he do to waterproof it?

If there was water in the panel and subsequent rust, then you may need to replace the whole panel.

I'm curious why the electrician whom installed it is replacing everything under warranty without having seen it first. Did he install the meter pan as well?

Some pics would be very helpful here

Detached garage, and just a circuit is out here. Power comes in under a patio (so that’s a major fear is having to tear that up).

So you only have one circuit running all lights and outlets in the garage? What size is the wire and what is the amp rating on the breaker? Also was it ran in conduit?

 

[Terry D]

I would start at the breaker. Since there has been water getting in the panel.

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[BigGarage]

Same friend checked the panel, and the breaker was fine, except for the water coming in the panel. He waterproofed the meter for me, and the electrician that’s did the panel is coming to replace the all of the breakers. I had voltage across all breakers when he tested it, but said he sometimes had to work the rust off the lugs to get it.


Thank you.

This, along with all the other suggestions, is where I'd start. I replaced my panel in the basement last year but it was 40 years old. It was a rusty and corroded mess.

Start at the beginning and when you get to the end...stop. It may save a lot of time and money, even if temporary.

Dennis

 

[cdestuck]

Seems to me that your electrician friend could just use a tester and ck for voltage on the screw/outside of the breaker. If no power out but power on the bar in the panel, the problem is either the breaker is faulty or the connection between the panel and breaker is corroded and not making connection

 

[RedSS454]

what do you mean by backwards? If this is a basic snap-switch, then neutral doesnt go to the switch and the ground just terminates on the switch. IF the neutral was going to the ground terminal on the switch, then how did the lights work without a neutral?

Do you have a picture of what he found here?

i can snap a pic of what he changed it to, but now it should be correct as it worked temporarily (which leads me to believe that wasn’t much of an issue in the first place.


Is this panel back to back with the meter? How was the water getting into the meter pan and what did he do to waterproof it?

Panel is in the basement along the outside wall where the pan is. He used silicone along where the weather he’d runs, and where the wire runs from the house side of the meter into the conduit down.

If there was water in the panel and subsequent rust, then you may need to replace the whole panel.

I'm curious why the electrician whom installed it is replacing everything under warranty without having seen it first. Did he install the meter pan as well?

Electrician did stop by between other appointments to look at it, and agreed that the breakers all have to be changed, but he didn’t have time to actually do anything. Kind of annoyed me, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll snap a pic later toast and post it.

Some pics would be very helpful here





So you only have one circuit running all lights and outlets in the garage? What size is the wire and what is the amp rating on the breaker? Also was it ran in conduit?

Yes, 1 20A breaker, can’t speak to wire size, and it is run in conduit as far as i know. Probably done 20+ years ago, so I’m trying to sift through this problem as i go.

 

[Zeke]

Sounds to me the symptoms of a loose neutral somewhere piggy backed on top of other problems. Glad an electrician is going out there.