# Lights pulsing in my house?



## Hivoltage98

Hi all, I have a problem in my own house that's driving me nuts!!! It's been doing it for a while, but never noticed it as much as now. At timed intervals I can see my lights pulse about 6-8 times then stop. I thought it might be the lamps, but it does it with LED lamps as well as incandescent. When the lamps are dimmed it seems more noticeable. It has to be a whole house thing since lamps on different circuits are doing it. Of course there are many variables that could be thrown in, but it's like there's data running through the power... All connections are good as far as I can tell at panel and switch locations. 
Any ideas?.. Thanks

Correction for the data comment.. I know there's data on the grid. But.... If you ever watched status LEDs on a switch or router the lamps blink the same way like packets being transmitting across. 

To mclary's - if your so smart do you have an INTELLIGENT answer?


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## Mr.EMJ

There might be a loose wire outside at the utility connection. Very common problem and if you call them it won't cost you anything. Start there and if that doesn't solve the problem then check the main breaker.


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## Big John

Any heavy commercial or light industrial near you? Any of your neighbors backyard mechanics?

If it's a very regular pulsing then I'd guess there's a load causing it.

-John


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## mbednarik

i 2nd the utility problem. I was wiring a new house and the lights were pulsing about once a second. I could see about a 1.5v swing. This would have on and off the whole time we were wiring it. Turned out to be a bad primary trans.


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## Hivoltage98

When I get home I'm gonna put the scope on it and then put the recorder on it for a month and see in detail what happens


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## McClary’s Electrical

Hivoltage98 said:


> but it's like there's data running through the power...


 
The union must be proud of you.


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## Semi-Ret Electrician

Big John said:


> Any heavy commercial or light industrial near you? Any of your neighbors backyard mechanics?
> 
> If it's a very regular pulsing then I'd guess there's a load causing it.
> 
> -John


My thoughts too John. Wonder if his neighbor is a part time welder? Or, the POCO strung #6 AL to his home and jacked up his voltage?
As suggested, could be a bad crimp at the service point.
Tune in tomorrow for his answer!:thumbsup:


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## Hivoltage98

mcclary's electrical said:


> The union must be proud of you.


What's that supposed to mean?


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## ren79eg

Uhhhh...I think you set yourself up for that one.....


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## Hivoltage98

Im in a rural area, grid is pp&l. Their power system is pretty good and maintained very well. 
No industrial loads anywhere near me. The house is 9 years old so it's not like it's old wiring. The incoming service is clean but if I can't find a problem I might just be calling pp&l to come out and check their connections at the underground. Lightning hits have been landed on the block and damaged other neighbors stuff, but so far nothing here. I

I do have 3 UPS backups for the essential equipment with surge protection, but I suspect anything in the house could be doing this. Even the led 
lamps. 

I thought it was the lutron dimmer in my bathroom at first, but when I was at Lutron getting trained for quantum systems I was talking with a few of the engineers and they said it sounded odd. But then I noticed it happening throughout the whole house. 


We had problems on a job with capacitors in electronic modules sending back 160v spikes back into the dimming modules causing a lot of damage, so I always suspect even the most simple piece of equipment. 

So it can be anything, just figured I could get a few hints on here. 
Thanks for the help in advance.


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## Big John

If you're seeing this effect in incandescent lamps, then I'd be surprised if the cause was anything that fancy. Incandescents are simple, hardy animals, and pretty much the only way you're going to see a dimming flicker is if they're actually seeing voltage sags.

A recording meter would be a good idea before you call the POCO, because a lot of them are notorious for "Not Our Problem" unless you can beat them over the skull with evidence.

-John


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## Bbsound

i have seen older laser printers cause the same problem due to the heater cycling quickly


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## Shockdoc

Look at your PPL distribution , are you tied off the same transformer as one or several other homes? I had a service call years back where lights were pulsating, I found the Tsat shorted and running the AC compressor in december. Could be coming from another load in another home w/ a combination of an undersized transformer. PPL is famous for running two homes off a 10 kva step down.


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## Hivoltage98

I had an old laser printer that did that, but replaced it with a new one. I did turn it off but the lights still did that.


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## Shockdoc

Hivoltage98 said:


> I had an old laser printer that did that, but replaced it with a new one. I did turn it off but the lights still did that.


with a 100 watt bulb plugged in at the main panel on a dedicated breaker, shut off one or two breakers at a time. If the problem is within your dwelling, this will pinpoint its origin. Call PPL otherwise .


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## ampman

any chance you have two three way dimmers on the same lights


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## HARRY304E

mcclary's electrical said:


> The union must be proud of you.


:laughing::laughing:


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## HARRY304E

Hivoltage98 said:


> Hi all, I have a problem in my own house that's driving me nuts!!! It's been doing it for a while, but never noticed it as much as now. At timed intervals I can see my lights pulse about 6-8 times then stop. I thought it might be the lamps, but it does it with LED lamps as well as incandescent. When the lamps are dimmed it seems more noticeable. It has to be a whole house thing since lamps on different circuits are doing it. Of course there are many variables that could be thrown in, but it's like there's data running through the power... All connections are good as far as I can tell at panel and switch locations.
> Any ideas?.. Thanks
> 
> Correction for the data comment.. I know there's data on the grid. But.... If you ever watched status LEDs on a switch or router the lamps blink the same way like packets being transmitting across.
> 
> To mclary's - if your so smart do you have an INTELLIGENT answer?


Take a look at the front of the dimmer there may be a little adjustment dial there for leds&CFL's


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## Hivoltage98

No. Dimmers are all Lutron radio ra2. It's not 1 set of dimmers it's the whole house.


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## socalelect

Shockdoc said:


> Look at your PPL distribution , are you tied off the same transformer as one or several other homes? I had a service call years back where lights were pulsating, I found the Tsat shorted and running the AC compressor in december. Could be coming from another load in another home w/ a combination of an undersized transformer. PPL is famous for running two homes off a 10 kva step down.


My home shares a 25 kva trans with 9 other houses had po co out the trouble guy said they figure 3 kva per house im like damn 9 houses x 3 kva is 27 kva. It is suppsidly in the works to get replaced


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## carryyourbooks

the last time i came across dimming lights, the customer had an old zinsco panel that had melted a range breaker. you couldn't see it because it did it behind the breaker. you couldn't smell it either. and the breaker never tripped. i replaced with new panel and fixed his issue. it could be a loose connection at the utility for sure, but it could also be in your meter box or main breaker. it could also be where your main attaches to your buss in your panel. best thing to do is open the meter box and check for loose connections. then open your panel and do the same. don't want to wait for a fire to find out you could have fixed it in time.


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## Semi-Ret Electrician

socalelect said:


> My home shares a 25 kva trans with 9 other houses had po co out the trouble guy said they figure 3 kva per house im like damn 9 houses x 3 kva is 27 kva. It is suppsidly in the works to get replaced


Any chance they have grow lights on a cycle timer?:laughing:


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## Southeast Power

I have seen a bad main breaker produce symptoms like this. Like mentioned here earlier, it cannot be seen or sometimes nothing you can even smell.


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## socalelect

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> Any chance they have grow lights on a cycle timer?:laughing:


Its possible I know the neighbors smoke it. I could just go stand at the fence and get high


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## The_Modifier

Just a thought, are you on a well pump?


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## Semi-Ret Electrician

socalelect said:


> Its possible I know the neighbors smoke it. I could just go stand at the fence and get high


I've heard the "smart meters" are being used to detect unusual power consumption...like pot growers.


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## TooFarFromFenway

I had a similar problem, right before a huge power surge. Is it also affecting your neighbors, or just you? 

If it's just you, I would start with a loose neutral at the meter. Check that, and also on the load side also. 

Other then that, do what the others have suggested.


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