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Author Topic: Random Problem solving exercise.
adric
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Posts: 178
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Post Random Problem solving exercise.
on: January 4, 2012, 12:57
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I posted this on one of my blogs a long time ago, but thought it might be a fun one to post here, to see if anyone wants to take a stab at an answer.

=-=-=-=--
I have this thing solved, but I thought it was a good puzzler for you all.

So at work I was brought a lamp that supposedly flickered. It was a small goose neck lamp With a rotary switch and a 60w (equiv) Compact florescent bulb.

I plugged it in by my workstation, and it looked fine to me, I decided to check the switch and contacts both just fine, so I left it running to see if it only acted up when hot. But even when hot it looked ok.

The company owner noticed i was testing it and agreed it did not appear to be showing its symptoms at my desk, suggested i take it back to where the accountant had it.

Plug it in and Flicker!!!!

Ok, so its plugged into a powerstrip with a computer a monitor and some speakers, but the lamp acts the same if I plug it into another powerstrip (in the lower plug in the same outlet)

So im thinking maybe its some sort of inducted noise, perhaps the transformer in the CF bulb is picking up some stray EM. shut down the computer and the flicker gets mostly better, but it still flickrs...?!?!

So we try a normal bulb, same thing. try another lamp same thing plug it in in the same office in another outlet OK!

So i decide must be really dirty power on that circuit so I get a Voltmeter, and indeed the power is fluctuating up to 40V mostly brownout not surge. Plug a ups into it, and that outlet clicks kinda madly. light still flickers. even if its on the ups?!?!

Decide perhaps there is badly screwed down wire on the outlet and its sparking, find the breaker, flip it off pull the outlet.. its wired fine all up to code nicely done, no smells or arc marks, good conductivity when tested with an Ohm Meter.

put it all back together and flip on the breaker, and now its even worse, now the ups is clicking and meeping much of the time. but lamp is fine in the same spot on an extension cord running to another outlet.

What do you do! What do you DO!!

-Quelab, Come make something!

Mr.What
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Posts: 196
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Post Re: Random Problem solving exercise.
on: January 6, 2012, 07:31
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are there other outlets on that breaker? do they have the same issues? Id guess it is stray L or C. Perhaps the leads are wrapped in a spiral someplace (stray L), or perhaps the insulation is thin someplace and the leads are very close (stray C). Likely way back in the wall someplace where you can't see the oddity. just a guess.
adric
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Posts: 178
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Post Re: Random Problem solving exercise.
on: January 6, 2012, 10:02
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Good guess, but no, I'm unsure of what else is on that breaker, As far as i could tell when i had it off, that was the only outlet effected, but may have been one more outlet in the disused office around the corner, but it had nothing in it at the time.

Any other guesses? or anyone else?

-Quelab, Come make something!

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