For the last few days we’ve been having some flickering lights; always the same ones, but at differing times of the day. This morning, half the house was electrically dead. Checked all the circuit breakers (and cycled quite a few on the affected circuits) without relief. While doing this, the fuse box made an amusing noise (sort of a crackle) and the lights in the garage (where I and the fuse box were) went out, as well.
Called the home warranty people, and after 5 minutes of giving info to a home-warranty computer (which has very accurate voice recognition, I must say), I held for 10 minutes to repeat virtually all the same info to a person, who was efficient. Electrician called within 2 hours, and we discussed possible etiologies, but no diagnosis was obvious to him except that ‘something’s loose’ . Apparently, I could be an electrician, as I knew that, too. He’s coming tomorrow.
The lights went out again about 30 minutes ago, and in a fit of brilliance I ‘adjusted’ the cover of the fuse box with my fist (dad’s a mechanic, says he spent his life whapping things; I’m a chip off the old whapping block) and the lights came right on, and haven’t flickered since. So, now I know where the problem lies, but I’m too chicken to take the cover off the fuse box and tighten things myself.
Update: lights are out, again. Hmmm. Computer working on an extension cord.
