Electric Question

[Gena]

If you have a flickering refrigerator light due to a loose connection, does the removal of the light bulb eliminate the threat of arcing?

[Ed Pawlowski]

No, it removes the bulb, but leave an open socket and the same loose connection that can still arc to something grounded.

It is also possible that the bulb itself has a loose filament and is causing the flicker.

[JIMMIE]

Change the bulb, You may have some other problem but I wouldnt call the repairman without replacing the bulb first.

Jimmie

[jeff_wisnia]

Or maybe even just loose in its socket?

(He didn't say.)

Jeff

[RBM]

Yes it does. It will remove the "load" from the circuit, which is what would cause the arcing.

[Hipupchuck]

That would depend on weather the neutral OR the hot is arcing. If the hot is arcing removing the bulb won't help.

[RBM]

It most certainly will

[dpb]

That depends on where/what is the source of the ground-fault path...

--

[Mike rock]

It could be something simple as a defective door switch. Unplug the fridge, then remove the door switch and jump it out, then plug in the fridge again. If the light stops flickering, you found the problem.

[RBM]

[Tony Hwang]

Huh?

[jeff_wisnia]

Second that in spades!

Jeff

[Hipupchuck]

How do you figure that, Nimrod.

[RBM]

I don't believe you have a working grasp of what a "complete circuit" entails. Arcing will occur at the point of any loose connection. The greater the load on the circuit, the more arcing that will occur. Any method that you employ to open that circuit will prevent arcing from occurring. You can open the hot leg. You can open the neutral. You can remove the "load", in this case, light bulb. All will open the circuit and prevent arcing at the point of the loose connection.

[Gena]

Thanks for your response.

A light is not really needed in this small basement fridge and I can rest easily regarding the arcing worry.

[tnom]

I assume the bulb is the only thing intermittent, so it would be safe to assume that it is on a parallel independent circuit. So the answer is yes. It breaks the current path and stops the arcing