A neighbor helped me with electric problem

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I was cooking oatmeal in the microwave this morning. I set it for 3 minutes. When I came back I assumed it was done, but when I took it out of the oven, it wasn't very warm. Then I noticed the indicator light on the oven was out and the clock plugged into the same outlet wasn't running. Further investigation disclosed that all the outlets on the south wall of the kitchen were out. I assumed I could fix it by flicking the circuit breakers to the kitchen. There are 2 switches in the breaker box labeled KITCHEN, however that idea didn't work.

Later I was out taking my morning walk and saw my next door neighbor out. We chatted a bit and I mentioned the electric problem. He said he'd take a look. I told him I had already tried the switches in the breaker box. He went over to one outlet and pressed something and the power was back on. He said it was a ground fault circuit interrupter. I hadn't even noticed the button for that on the outlet (they are the same color). He said I might have a problem with the microwave since it's a fairly old model. Now I know what to do if it happens again.
 

My sister owns her apartment, so no landlord to turn to. I've lived with her sometimes over the years.

At the beginning of one winter, the baseboard heaters didn't come on. We tried every fuse. Under the array of fuses, there were two drawers. We couldn't open them, no matter how hard we pulled. We even tried using screwdrivers, etc., as levers. Finally we gave up because we didn't want to break anything.

We couldn't afford an electrician to fix the heaters, so we spent the winter without heat.

We mostly stayed huddled under covers. Moisture from our breath caused mold on the ceilings, so I had to get up on a chair once a week and apply bleach with a paint roller. (My sister has balance issues, so it was up to me.)

At the end of the winter, my sister mentioned the problem to a male neighbor. He said, "Let me have a look." He grabbed one of the drawer handles and easily yanked it open. There were the fuses for the heaters.

Why don't they make stuff women can open?
 
Last edited:
NorthernLight said:
My sister owns her apartment, so no landlord to turn to. I've lived with her sometimes over the years.

At the beginning of one winter, the baseboard heaters didn't come on. We tried every fuse. Under the array of fuses, there were two drawers. We couldn't open them, no matter how hard we pulled. We even tried using screwdrivers, etc., as levers. Finally we gave up because we didn't want to break anything.

We couldn't afford an electrician to fix the heaters, so we spent a winter without heat.

We mostly stayed huddled under covers. Moisture from our breath caused mold on the ceilings, so I had to get up on a chair once a week and apply bleach with a paint roller. (My sister has balance issues, so it was up to me.)

At the end of the winter, my sister mentioned the probem to a male neighbor. He said, "Let me have a look." He grabbed one of the drawer handles and easily yanked it open. There were the fuses for the heaters.

Why don't they make stuff women can open?
Click to expand...
LOL! But then, women wouldn't need men for anything.
Well, almost anything.......
I was reminded of my recent purchase of a leaf blower, battery & charger at ACE hardware. The cashier said, "It's very heavy; let me get someone to carry it to the car for you."
I said, "Why, I'm only 70," & lifted it with one arm & just smiled. She said, "MEN........" 😂
 
debodun said:
The reset button is self-explanatory, but what does the TEST button do?
Click to expand...
When you push the "Test" button, the outlet will not work until you press the "Reset" button. That just lets you know that the safety mechanism that shuts off the outlet if it gets wet, is working. That's why the newer ones have that little blue light. If the light is off, the outlet won't work because it got wet.
GFCI outlets are required when the outlet is within 6 feet of any water source.
 
win231 said:
When you push the "Test" button, the outlet will not work until you press the "Reset" button. That just lets you know that the safety mechanism that shuts off the outlet if it gets wet, is working. That's why the newer ones have that little blue light. If the light is off, the outlet won't work because it got wet.
GFCI outlets are required when the outlet is within 6 feet of any water source.
Click to expand...
You may have noticed that some hair dryers also have a built-in GFCI feature in the large plug with 2 buttons. That's in case you plug the hair dryer into a regular (non GFCI) outlet. That protects someone while they're drying their hair near a sink or shower. If that plug gets wet it prevents the dryer from turning on.
 
debodun said:
I was cooking oatmeal in the microwave this morning. I set it for 3 minutes. When I came back I assumed it was done, but when I took it out of the oven, it wasn't very warm. Then I noticed the indicator light on the oven was out and the clock plugged into the same outlet wasn't running. Further investigation disclosed that all the outlets on the south wall of the kitchen were out. I assumed I could fix it by flicking the circuit breakers to the kitchen. There are 2 switches in the breaker box labeled KITCHEN, however that idea didn't work.

Later I was out taking my morning walk and saw my next door neighbor out. We chatted a bit and I mentioned the electric problem. He said he'd take a look. I told him I had already tried the switches in the breaker box. He went over to one outlet and pressed something and the power was back on. He said it was a ground fault circuit interrupter. I hadn't even noticed the button for that on the outlet (they are the same color). He said I might have a problem with the microwave since it's a fairly old model. Now I know what to do if it happens again.
Click to expand...
So happy you had a good neighbour to help you with the issue, now you know what to check.
He’s right, with the microwave info……the older ones quite often will trip the circuit.
Great for you to try to solve the issue yourself first.
 
There is one other possible hazard I learned about with electrical outlets, & it's a really big one - that I almost learned about the hard way.
In winter, I'd want to stay in the hot shower too long because it's cold when I get out. I bought a space heater. I noticed that after it was on for only a minute, the plug would get too hot to touch. I read up on what could cause it - which is a plug that fits too loosely in the outlet - & called an electrician. He replaced the outlet.
A plug that doesn't fit snugly into an outlet allows "arcing," which is sparks jumping between the metal prongs in the plug & the metal in the outlet. That heats up the plug & the outlet & is the cause of many house fires. The first warning is a plug that gets hot to the touch. Warm is OK. But if the metal prongs on the plug are too hot, it's a fire about to start in the outlet. That happens quickly when a high-watt appliance - like a space heater or hair dryer is plugged in. The old outlet also overheated when I plugged a vacuum cleaner in.
After the outlet was replaced, the plug fits snugly & it only gets slightly warm.
 
win231 said:
There is one other possible hazard I learned about with electrical outlets, & it's a really big one - that I almost learned about the hard way.
In winter, I'd want to stay in the hot shower too long because it's cold when I get out. I bought a space heater. I noticed that after it was on for only a minute, the plug would get too hot to touch. I read up on what could cause it - which is a plug that fits too loosely in the outlet - & called an electrician. He replaced the outlet.
A plug that doesn't fit snugly into an outlet allows "arcing," which is sparks jumping between the metal prongs in the plug & the metal in the outlet. That heats up the plug & the outlet & is the cause of many house fires. The first warning is a plug that gets hot to the touch. Warm is OK. But if the metal prongs on the plug are too hot, it's a fire about to start in the outlet. That happens quickly when a high-watt appliance - like a space heater or hair dryer is plugged in. The old outlet also overheated when I plugged a vacuum cleaner in.
After the outlet was replaced, the plug fits snugly & it only gets slightly warm.
Click to expand...
Repeated plugging and unplugging can cause loose connections. For example, if you plug and unplug your hair dryer, waterpik, and shaver in the same socket every day, the socket might soon become loose. (Some are higher quality and last longer than others.)

That's why I always use these things. If they get worn out, they're a lot easier (and cheaper) to replace than a wall socket.
images (7).jpeg

images (6).jpeg
 
win231 said:
A plug that doesn't fit snugly into an outlet allows "arcing," which is sparks jumping between the metal prongs in the plug & the metal in the outlet. That heats up the plug & the outlet & is the cause of many house fires. The first warning is a plug that gets hot to the touch. Warm is OK. But if the metal prongs on the plug are too hot, it's a fire about to start in the outlet. That happens quickly when a high-watt appliance - like a space heater or hair dryer is plugged in. The old outlet also overheated when I plugged a vacuum cleaner in.
After the outlet was replaced, the plug fits snugly & it only gets slightly warm.
Click to expand...
Anytime you feel the plug, or the cord, getting overly warm, it's a Good idea to get the outlet checked out. Several things could be going wrong...from poor fitting plugs on the appliance, loose/bent contacts in the outlet, and corrosion building up in the outlet wiring. Also, plugging a high wattage appliance into an outlet that is only rated at 15Amps, can cause the current to rise...especially if other things are plugged in, and being used, on the same circuit.

Every year, several house fires are the result of electrical wiring issues.
 
In the UK, sockets do not generally have GFCI or ELCB as we call them. These are in the consumer unit (distribution board) and detect earth leakage faults in any of the sockets / devices in that circuit. The sockets are all switched.

The diagram is only as an illustration and the lighting circuits are usually ring circuits.

BasicWiringLayout.gif
 
Ever since that power outage in the circuit, the microwave doesn't seem to be heating as well. I make tea and it used to take about 2 minutes and the water got hot. Now I run for 3 minutes and it's about body temperature.
 
debodun said:
Ever since that power outage in the circuit, the microwave doesn't seem to be heating as well. I make tea and it used to take about 2 minutes and the water got hot. Now I run for 3 minutes and it's about body temperature.
Click to expand...
Sadly Deb…..but the power surge must have done a number on your micro…..may have to invest in a new one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top