Need help on electrical problem!!!

[ron]

I had a new circuit breaker box installed 3 years ago by a licensed electrician, the old one was a Federal Pacific "fire starter". Everything was fine until a few days ago. When I turn on the TV, the power for that entire circuit goes off WITHOUT tripping the circuit breaker. The rest of the house has power. If I wait for a few minutes the power for the circuit (not just the socket that the TV is plugged in to) that shut down COMES BACK ON BY ITSELF and I can turn on the TV with no problem (until the next time). The problem does not happen all the time, probably every other time I turn on the TV.. We have been having record temperatures here for the past 10 days or so with no rain (105-110). If there was a short in the TV you would think the circuit breaker would trip.

Anyone have an idea what's going on?

[RickH]

A shourt would trip the breaker, sounds more like an open is occurring.

If you reset the breaker off to on, does the branch circuit come back? If you jiggle the breaker does anything change? Sounds like the connection at the breaker is going open or bad breaker with carboned contacts that cant handle the impulse when turning on the TV.

[Toller]

Obviously you have a bad connection somewhere. Could be in an outlet, the breaker, or (unfortunately) somewhere else. Check all the connections. If they are all sound try switching two breakers and see if the problem follows the breaker.

I had a problem like similar to this; part of a circuit would go off for months at a time and then just come back. The advice I gave above would have solved the problem IF either electrician I had look at it could be bothered to trace the circuit properly. I found an outside outlet that had corroded.

[Meat Plow]

Bad wire connection at tv branch breaker or bad breaker possibly. When the tv comes on it causes a current surge that opens the circuit up.

[Jeff Wisnia]

Try thumping the bottom of your fist against the wall next to the outlet the TV plugs into and see if that triggers anything.

If it does, you may have a "loose disconnection" inside that outlet box.

If that test doesn't produce results, try it around the other outlets and switches on the circuit and also on the side of the breaker box.

That may help you narrow things down.

Jeff

[sym]

check the screws on the breaker first, then as long as your checking that check the rest too. including your nuetrals, screws will work their way loose see it all the time. wouldnt hurt to pull the outlet out and check to see if wires are under screw or stabbed in the back of the oulet, if stabbed in the back pull them out and put them under the screw where they belong. so if breaker is good and screws tight. wires to outlets under screw and tight and still not right then you probably have a connection (pig tails) somewhere that is going bad.

[Steve Barker]

I'll bet a dollar to twelve donuts, your outlets are "backstabbed" . I'll also bet that one of them in the series is where your problem is. Find out which outlets are on that circuit, kill it at the breaker panel and start taking them apart. If they are backstabbed, put the wires on the screws and i'll bet the problem goes away. While you're at it, do all the outlets in the house.

steve

[Joseph Meehan]

Good bet.

[RickH]

Yeah probably an outlet at the beginning of the branch, I cant believe anyone would use the outlet itself in series to continue the run load, but it happens. I try never to cut the run, just loop the screws like christmas lights, if I have to cut the run I pigtail out to the outlet and let a good twist with wire nut carry the run load. It's crappy wiring to use the device to continue the run load.

[Chris Friesen]

It's standard practice around here to use the device to continue the run load. That's why it has two screws on each side. There are some exceptions, as below:

Some areas require a pigtail for hots, but that's a local override.

The neutral must be pigtailed if it's for a split-wire circuit.

The ground generally needs to be pigtailed, but around here standard practice if there are only two ground conductors is to use the two screws in the box and continue one of the conductors on to the load.

Reducing the number of pigtails means that the box is less stuffed.

Chris

[Pete C.]

If the wires are in the back of the outlet and it has the little release slots for spring contacts then move the connections to the proper screw terminals. If the wires are in the back of the outlet and it does not have the little release slots check and see if it is the screw clamp type back wire which have no problems, if so, leave as is, just make sure screws are tight.

Pete C.

[ron]

Did a "bang the wall with a night light in the socket" test and sure enough the outlet just before the one I use for the TV went on and off as I banged the wall. I took it apart and, as predicted by you folks, it was backstabbed. Not only that, but there was evidence of arcing. So I replaced that outlet and USED THE SCREWS not the backstabs. I then used the screws on all outlets on that breaker. I did the "bang test" on all the outlets in the house and found one more outlet that didn&#39;t pass the test. Using the screws on all the outlets and switches in the house are now on the "to do" list". < < Thank- you to everyone for your help and it looks like I owe Steve some donuts. Ron

[Steve Barker]

I like the chocolate covered cake type. (and a small chocolate milk)

steve