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This is probably an electrical issue right? The power to my room just shut off and back on, and now the box fan is almost randomly changing speed, the speakers are filled with a loud electrical hum and the light barely works. How doomed am I?
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Jun 11, 2017 23:00
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| # ? May 21, 2024 21:49 |
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Sounds like a loose neutral. Yes, that's pretty bad. Is it only this room or does it happen anywhere else?
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Jun 11, 2017 23:03
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Post poste posted:This is probably an electrical issue right? The hum in speakers makes me think something is arcing, which you want to stop immediately.
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Jun 11, 2017 23:05
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kid sinister posted:Sounds like a loose neutral. Yes, that's pretty bad. Is it only this room or does it happen anywhere else? I can hear the AC wind up and down now, and various hums like that in the apartment. Even the fridge is wavering.
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Jun 11, 2017 23:07
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Is your service entrance an overhead wire and it's windy out?
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Jun 11, 2017 23:09
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Bad Munki posted:Is your service entrance an overhead wire and it's windy out? Not sure. It's a Chicago slum, so whatever is cheap, old and slum lord approved.
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Jun 11, 2017 23:15
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Check with your neighbors in the building and see if they're experiencing the same problem. If they are, it's likely the service feed, but it's not terribly windy today. It's almost certainly overhead service, buried lines aren't very common here. Comedy option (don't do this!): deliberately short your circuit and trip the breaker and see which of your neighbors share a circuit with you. in theory K&T is quite rare in Chicago, and Romex was never code, so it should be reasonably hard to start a fire by doing that, but it's still a really dumb idea.
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Jun 11, 2017 23:28
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minivanmegafun posted:Comedy option (don't do this!): deliberately short your circuit and trip the breaker and see which of your neighbors share a circuit with you. is this idea based on the cartoon theory that if you're already in a wheelchair, if you fall down the stairs AGAIN you can walk again?
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Jun 12, 2017 00:09
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SoundMonkey posted:is this idea based on the cartoon theory that if you're already in a wheelchair, if you fall down the stairs AGAIN you can walk again? I didn't know other people here knew I was disabled :V Checked with my more mobile friends, apparently it was a block wide problem? Something to do with the trains. I guess I'm not dead yet.
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Jun 12, 2017 00:10
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Post poste posted:I didn't know other people here knew I was disabled holy poo poo if true also it's good it's not just your place but it's still vaguely terrifying
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Jun 12, 2017 00:12
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SoundMonkey posted:holy poo poo if true The L uses a ton of power, I wouldn't at all be surprised if a failing CTA substation can cause some influence on ComEd's infrastructure.
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Jun 12, 2017 01:13
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minivanmegafun posted:The L uses a ton of power, I wouldn't at all be surprised if a failing CTA substation can cause some influence on ComEd's infrastructure. it must be wild to have the old-house-wiring experience except for entire chunks of a city
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Jun 12, 2017 03:47
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That's utilities in general. If y'all were more tolerant of outages, we could fix a ton of poo poo. 
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Jun 12, 2017 14:16
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angryrobots posted:That's utilities in general. If y'all were more tolerant of outages, we could fix a ton of poo poo. hey i got no problem with outages. just tell me in advance, and minimize the amount of time wherein i can't flush my shitter.
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Jun 12, 2017 21:46
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So I just moved into a new house, and there are some electrical outlets that will need replacing for sure. They're obviously old (super beige) and plugs just seem to fall right out of them. Since we're replacing them anyway, I'm curious about trying something that's piqued my interest: built-in USB ports for charging. Does anyone have experience with this, or heard any horror stories to convince me it's a terrible idea? I was basically going by guides such as this one: https://www.howtogeek.com/244537/how-to-upgrade-your-outlets-for-usb-charging/ Looks like a solid enough idea, but I'm also wary of it because it's still a relatively new thing and I know there's potential for big problems if the voltage isn't regulated properly. But as long as I don't have a Note 7, what are the chances this would set my house on fire?
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Jun 13, 2017 02:37
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They're probably perfectly safe but I have no experience with the things. If you're that worried about a quality USB port just put in regular receptacles and keep using your known good USB chargers, you'll save money that way too.
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Jun 13, 2017 02:58
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Sir Lemming posted:So I just moved into a new house, and there are some electrical outlets that will need replacing for sure. They're obviously old (super beige) and plugs just seem to fall right out of them. Since we're replacing them anyway, I'm curious about trying something that's piqued my interest: built-in USB ports for charging. Does anyone have experience with this, or heard any horror stories to convince me it's a terrible idea? I was going to say use name brand, UL listed outlets only but the article starts off with that. I've been using Legrand ones and haven't had any issues. No idea from the engineering side of things, but I'd guess they're as safe as the adapters you plug into regular outlets.
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Jun 13, 2017 03:25
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I installed a couple in my house, no complaints. They're kind of expensive but the family seems to use them quite a bit. Cuts down on the "who took my charger" conversations. Make sure that you maintain gfci protection where it's required. Also, it may be wise to check out the box(es) where you want to install them before purchase. If it's a smaller sized box, and maybe a bit overfilled with conductors already, it could be difficult or possibly a bad idea to stuff one of those hefty things in.
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Jun 13, 2017 04:49
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Gotcha. And when I say "just moved in" I mean really just moved in, there's still a lot to do before I go and buy one of these things. Haven't checked the depth of the existing boxes yet, but it's entirely possible that will be a deal-breaker, since it was built in the '80s. But I definitely have to buy new outlets either way; these particular ones can't even keep a child-proof plug cover in.
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Jun 13, 2017 13:42
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Sir Lemming posted:Gotcha. And when I say "just moved in" I mean really just moved in, there's still a lot to do before I go and buy one of these things. Haven't checked the depth of the existing boxes yet, but it's entirely possible that will be a deal-breaker, since it was built in the '80s. But I definitely have to buy new outlets either way; these particular ones can't even keep a child-proof plug cover in. Your new ones will be TR - no plug cover needed when not in use! Magic!
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Jun 13, 2017 16:39
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Not my work, but does resting low voltage cables on top of AC ducts technically qualify as independently supported above the grid or do I need to let or inspector know that they need to yell at a contractor?
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Jun 13, 2017 20:24
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GWBBQ posted:Not my work, but does resting low voltage cables on top of AC ducts technically qualify as independently supported above the grid or do I need to let or inspector know that they need to yell at a contractor? That failes the "independent" part of "independently supported."
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Jun 13, 2017 20:36
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Motronic posted:That failes the "independent" part of "independently supported."
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Jun 13, 2017 20:58
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Sir Lemming posted:Since we're replacing them anyway, I'm curious about trying something that's piqued my interest: built-in USB ports for charging. Does anyone have experience with this, or heard any horror stories to convince me it's a terrible idea? I've installed a few in my own house as well as for work. I even put in a few USB quads with no outlets. Everyone has loved them. That being said, they are larger than a regular duplex. If your boxes are very shallow or crammed full of wires, you might not be able to fit them in. I had to chip away some plaster and drywall mud overhanging the sides of the box to fit in a few of them. I imagine that if you had to put them in a box in a tile wall and the tiles overhang, you might need to bring out the Dremel and shave down the tiles a bit. Edit: also, their two outlets can't be split like a regular duplex can. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Jun 14, 2017 |
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Jun 14, 2017 03:35
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Don't most of those only do 500mA or 1A? While most modern phones support some form of quick charging or fast charging, but only if there's the required chip in the charger for the phone to talk to? (Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, for example)
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Jun 14, 2017 09:01
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Don't most of those only do 500mA or 1A? While most modern phones support some form of quick charging or fast charging, but only if there's the required chip in the charger for the phone to talk to? (Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, for example) the one i have does 2.1A per plug with the appropriate resistors for iphones to charge fast
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Jun 14, 2017 09:52
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SoundMonkey posted:the one i have does 2.1A per plug with the appropriate resistors for iphones to charge fast  https://www.amazon.com/TOPGREENER-TU21548AC-Resistant-Receptacle-Type-C-4-8A-USB-Outlet-15A/dp/B01FREZ8VE (Don't buy this it will burn your house down.)
H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 21:13 on Jun 14, 2017 |
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Jun 14, 2017 15:29
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H110Hawk posted:
Neat, that's the first one I've seen that does USB-C. I like the changeable bezels too.
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Jun 14, 2017 16:37
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H110Hawk posted:
Not UL or CE listed? Is this code compliant anywhere?
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Jun 14, 2017 19:48
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One Day Fish Sale posted:Not UL or CE listed? Is this code compliant anywhere? And a lot of reviews show it as failing in a month or two.
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Jun 14, 2017 21:12
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H110Hawk posted:And a lot of reviews show it as failing in a month or two. surely not with a quality TOPGREENER product such as this
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Jun 15, 2017 00:10
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All the electrical work at my new place has been replaced - new mast, main panel, new subpanel. I asked for the ampage to be upped to 200a as we planned to put a hot tub in that'll need a 220v/50a breaker. I've opened up the main panel and there's a double space there free which looks perfect but I'm not sure the circuit has capacity? It's labeled as follows:  In case it's not clear after uploading: Panel in house 100a on two handles AC AHU 30a on two handles AC Surge Suppressor Comp 20a on two handles 30a on two handles I don't know if this adds up as 100+30+20+30 leaving me only 20a capacity, or if the suppressor part doesn't add to it, or what? Hoping there's no issue and it'll be easy to run the line outside. Theres loads of 110v already but no 220 out there.
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Jun 17, 2017 21:34
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The sum of your circuits can be more than the rating of your main. You just can't use them all at once or the main will trip.
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Jun 17, 2017 21:39
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Good to know, hoped it would be something along those lines.
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Jun 17, 2017 21:40
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EL BROMANCE posted:I don't know if this adds up as 100+30+20+30 leaving me only 20a capacity, or if the suppressor part doesn't add to it, or what? That's not how this works, and, without looking anything up, you'll be fine. The Right Way (tm) is to pull a permit, do the little calculation in the box, and figure out you're fine. tl;dr: you're fine. Install the breaker and go.
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Jun 17, 2017 21:41
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H110Hawk posted:
It only runs at a balmy 170F (75C), that won't burn anything! https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RJRRR4JK93YGQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01FREZ8VE
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Jun 18, 2017 10:57
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baquerd posted:It only runs at a balmy 170F (75C), that won't burn anything! https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RJRRR4JK93YGQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01FREZ8VE "UL Pending" 
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Jun 18, 2017 13:10
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Not sure this is the right thread for it, but: I'm trying to figure out if there's any way to get variable color temperature LED lighting without having to get bulbs/fixtures that I control from my phone, since I'd also like my kids, visitors, etc to be able to control it. I'm looking to add lighting to a very dark dining room, and for the most part, I'd like some very white sunlight bulbs, but would also like the ability to switch to dimmer more yellow lighting, since it's also where our fireplace is and we hang out in there a bit in the winter. All I can figure out currently is to install two sets of cans on different switches, one with each type of bulb, but that seems really dumb to have to do in 2017. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Jun 21, 2017 00:59
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stealie72 posted:
None that are efficient or good. Basically, you could wire your wall switch(es) or just have a separate button panel connected to a wifi-enabled microcontroller that speaks Hue and triggers presets. That would bypass your barrier to guests and kids, but it's really roundabout and still ties you to a proprietary ecosystem (can you even talk to those bulbs with a hobbyist MCU? I'm just spitballing here) Edit: thought this was the learning electronics thread. Oops
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Jun 21, 2017 01:28
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Hue bulbs turn on at full white brightness when power is restored, like if you had them on a regular switch. You can use just a regular switch for the bright white mode, and use your phone to set the temperature / dim them once they are on. You can also mount the Hue dimmer switch on the wall and use that to control the temperature and brightness. You can set up something like the first on press is bright white, second is more yellow.
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Jun 21, 2017 01:42
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