Home electrical issue

[dja4260]

My daughters overhead light/fan will cut off and on in her bedroom. It's not on a consistent basis. You can audibly hear the fan go quiet then turn back on and the light will cut off. It's always very brief, less than 1 second. I paid a electrician to come over and he checked the panel. Everything was tight, he suspected the neutral bar but nothing looked loose. Through our conversation the next step would be to check all the holes on that 15amp circuit. I went ahead and replaced every outlet and switch on that circuit (8 total) I also checked every wire nut behind each wall switch. I found nothing to be lose or of concern.

This didn't correct the issue.

My next thought is to wire romex from the switch directly to the fan, bypassing the romex run in the wall/ceiling and see if that corrects the issue.

What am I missing, thoughts?

 

[wwillson]

Did you check every visible wire nut? I've had them loosen and have found them with charred wires. You shouldn't have any buried wire nuts, but that doesn't mean someone didn't get lazy and do it anyway.

 

[Kruse]

Manually trip the breaker that powers the fan to find any (hopefully) outlets that are on the same circuit. (Sounds like you already know which outlets are connected to the fan) Add a small radio to the connected outlets to see if it's the fan only or if there are problems with the whole circuit.
Problems with the neutral can be tricky to find.

 

[Pablo]

Why do you not think it's in the fan or fan switches themselves?

 

[Snagglefoot]

I happened to post about a fan just yesterday. Is this a simple fan with an on off switch at the wall or is it using a remote control circuitry. You might replace the switch at the wall, especially if it has one of those sliders to vary the speed. If all else fails you probably should replace the fan or at least remove the fan and wire a simple light bulb receptacle and see if the light flickers.

 

[PimTac]

Why do you not think it's in the fan or fan switches themselves?

I wondered this myself. My first look would be the switch for the fan and the fan wiring. Why would the electrician suspect the neutral unless you were having trouble throughout the house?

Since the switch was replaced check the fan wiring.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I had a table lamp in my house flicker once in a while.
I found out it was a wall switch that had the 'cheap' connectors (wires just push in).
I replaced ALL my wall switches with 'better' connectors (screw & clamp plate).
Never had a problem since.

As others have said, "check the switch for the fan and the fan wiring".
Let us know what fixes the problem.

 

[Hall]

My next thought is to wire romex from the switch directly to the fan, bypassing the romex run in the wall/ceiling and see if that corrects the issue.

That might not work. The fan/light might be wired "hot" and the wall switch doesn't have power going to it, then to the fan/light (not sure if I'm describing it correctly though).

 

[SaberOne]

Talk about coincidence, the light/fan in my office has been doing the exact same thing’. From a strictly engineering standpoint, it does help to cuss at it, and that seems to help sometimes.

 

[Pablo]

That might not work. The fan/light might be wired "hot" and the wall switch doesn't have power going to it, then to the fan/light (not sure if I'm describing it correctly though).

This is kinda sorta how ours in the MB is wired by the previous idiot. Only different.

The fan and light (on/orf, speed, brightness) are controlled with the REMOTE.

BUT there are TWO wall switches (why? NO IDEA) that control one leg. I have not opened it up to have a peek!

 

[Hall]

This is kinda sorta how ours in the MB is wired by the previous idiot. Only different.

Nothing "idiot" about it, it's an acceptable or common way of wiring, especially with ceiling fixtures.

 

[Pablo]

Nothing "idiot" about it, it's an acceptable or common way of wiring, especially with ceiling fixtures.

I wasn't saying the method is idiotic I am just calling the previous owner the richly deserved term of idiot. I guess I will find out why he used two switches right next to each other.

Re-read what I wrote.

 

[dja4260]

I’ve replaced the fan and checked the wire nuts. Every single switch or outlet has been replaced. My first floor light in the living room does this too. Different breaker.

 

[Hall]

My first floor light in the living room does this too. Different breaker.

That is useful information that you left out.... The electrician was probably on the right track since he/she was checking at the panel.

 

[Pablo]

I’ve replaced the fan and checked the wire nuts. Every single switch or outlet has been replaced. My first floor light in the living room does this too. Different breaker.

Well that some fairly vital information. Makes your electrician sound more competent at the very least.

Different circuit - BUT is it at least the same leg of the 240V?

Different fan does the same thing and a light on a different breaker. Hmmm.........what is common? What type of light?

Has anyone checked incoming power for noise?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I had a two bad breakers that likely got tosted by a lightning strike to my well pump. Had to pull them all too see charring underneath. Was chasing this problem for months. Its was driving me nutty not being able to pin it down!

I have checked and re-done the wire nuts and branch on circuits on associated switches - didn't help.

I did have a bathroom dome light that would "brown out" I finally dropped the fixture and then cut back stripped and re-did the wire nut connexions. That fixed that. Surprising with Cu romex.

 

[Hall]

and re-did the wire nut connexions. That fixed that. Surprising with Cu romex.

Probably installation related, not the wire

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Probably installation related, not the wire

Yes, not blaming the wire - but the fixture location and age. Plus I installed it, LOL!

House is over 43 Y.O. that fixture was replaced in the early 90's, It's in an un-vented 4'x8' 3/4 standing shower bathroom. Gets steamy in there.

Maybe the cheap fixture had "unknown metal" wiring and the connexion became resistive and /or diodic
that's my guess. I strip and remake my HiFi loudspeaker wires every few months. Sound great for a few weeks.
And I am deaf above 6khz

- Ken

 

[Dadillac]

The wife and I bought our house in 2014. Same thing happened in our house. Daughters ceiling fan working/not working seems random. Long story short I found a loose neutral wire in the upstairs hallway light fixture. Whoever wired this house decided to run several neutrals unto the light box and use it as a junction box. Easy fix but a hell of a time finding it

Don

 

[Delta]

The wife and I bought our house in 2014. Same thing happened in our house. Daughters ceiling fan working/not working seems random. Long story short I found a loose neutral wire in the upstairs hallway light fixture. Whoever wired this house decided to run several neutrals unto the light box and use it as a junction box. Easy fix but a hell of a time finding it

Don

Wow, that must have been an old school electrician or an older house. That's the way my house is and it was built in '65.