Any electricians here?

[JRKrejsa]

I've installed light fixtures in our house but last month stopped in the middle of doing one because I was leery about the wiring. Our house is 145 years old and the wires to that fixture were the old cloth wrapped insulation type. Fortunately it is a light we rarely use so I just hung the fixture without connecting the wires so the wife could decorate for Halloween. It is a chandelier type fixture and Debbie just put battery operated tea lights in the sockets instead of bulbs. Looks fine and little chance of fire!

Sorry to carry on about it but I've been knocked on my ass more than once by electricity.?

Our house was originally made in the 1880s. It’s had at least 2 electrical upgrades.
But I still have the same issues you have...

 

[Actionjick]

Our house was originally made in the 1880s. It’s had at least 2 electrical upgrades.
But I still have the same issues you have...

I look at some of the old fixtures and am reluctant to open a can of worms.?

 

[MajorDomo]

Try another appliance, lamp... and see if it also arcs. If not, it maybe in the appliance plug wiring. A plug should be easy to open and fix.

If the second still arcs, then it may be loose or frayed wiring in the wall socket. You can check it, but make sure you turn the breaker off and test the receptacle afterwards to make sure power is off. You should be able to fix bad or loose wiring. It its is most likely a three wire socket, (the colors for hot and neutral changed during the transition to the EU). Since you said the socket was recently fitted, my guess is there lies the problem.

Since it isn't tripping your breaker (or hopefully not an older fuse), it probably is not in your panel. You also should not mess with your panel, breakers or RCDs unless you have experience.

 

[Actionjick]

Try another appliance, lamp... and see if it also arcs. If not, it maybe in the appliance plug wiring. A plug should be easy to open and fix.

If the second still arcs, then it may be loose or frayed wiring in the wall socket. You can check it, but make sure you turn the breaker off and test the receptacle afterwards to make sure power is off. You should be able to fix bad or loose wiring. It its is most likely a three wire socket, (the colors for hot and neutral changed during the transition to the EU). Since you said the socket was recently fitted, my guess is there lies the problem.

Since it isn't tripping your breaker (or hopefully not an older fuse), it probably is not in your panel. You also should not mess with your panel, breakers or RCDs unless you have experience.

Another possibility is that the socket/switch is defective right out of the box. Pretty frustrating to repair something only to discover the repair didn't work and eventually realize the new part was bad.

 

[Actionjick]

Our house was originally made in the 1880s. It’s had at least 2 electrical upgrades.
But I still have the same issues you have...

Old houses are peculiar. The oldest house I was ever in, at least in the US, was my shipmate's house in Newport Rhode Island. It was built in the 1700s and I swear there wasn't a 90 degree angle in the whole place.

 

[Actionjick]

Curious if you have had the electrician check it out.

Or are you Waiting For the Electrician or Someone Like Him? ?????

???????

 

[Honza]

Curious if you have had the electrician check it out.

Or are you Waiting For the Electrician or Someone Like Him? ?????

The builder checked it and considered it safe. We have not seen any sparks since the other day. He still plans to tell the electrician about it, but is in no hurry.

 

[Honza]

It could be a loose wire or the whole socket might be defective as MajorDomo said. I still think it ought to be checked by the electrician.

 

[sswann]

Feel the wall above the electrical outlet with something plugged in.
If It gets warm you have a real problem.

 

[Tuomo]

Feel the wall above the electrical outlet with something plugged in.
If It gets warm you have a real problem.

Note - this advice comes from a Marine point of view. Where 5000 screaming ChiComs pouring over the hill is a "mild concern".

 

[von Marwitz]

Old houses are peculiar. The oldest house I was ever in, at least in the US, was my shipmate's house in Newport Rhode Island. It was built in the 1700s and I swear there wasn't a 90 degree angle in the whole place.

The line of Oberst von Marwitz has moved into its castle in the late 1290's and has never changed its electrical fixtures ever since.

You've got to build solidly.

von Marwitz

 

[Paul M. Weir]

It's a good thing bare and cold stone doesn't burn from the odd dropped candle or flaming torch. The wages of the light bearers must be horrific, though.

 

[von Marwitz]

It's a good thing bare and cold stone doesn't burn from the odd dropped candle or flaming torch. The wages of the light bearers must be horrific, though.

Indeed. Through the centuries, the castle was burned down only twice due to sieges.
Wages were not an issue until shortly after 1800, as then serfdom was abolished in the German states.

Nowadays, the light bearers are unionized and get paid by labor contract as it should be.
Style has its price.

However, there is now trouble due to the CO2 emissions of the candles. So the line of Marwitz might have to adapt quickly to the current times once again. We might switch to LED candles within the next generation.

von Marwitz

 

[Honza]

Feel the wall above the electrical outlet with something plugged in.
If It gets warm you have a real problem.

I'll try that.....

 

[Honza]

The wall above the socket is cool as a cucumber.

 

[Actionjick]

The wall above the socket is cool as a cucumber.

Good. Don't get me started on my cucumber story!???

 

[sswann]

Note - this advice comes from a Marine point of view. Where 5000 screaming ChiComs pouring over the hill is a "mild concern".

Yep!
To secure a site is to hit it with artillery and then take it by direct assault!

 

[Sparafucil3]

Good. Don't get me started on my cucumber story!???

Really? You can't leave us hanging like that. That's twice in the last week you mentioned it. Come clean. What's the story? -- jim

 

[Actionjick]

Note - this advice comes from a Marine point of view. Where 5000 screaming ChiComs pouring over the hill is a "mild concern".

As long as they had a spare bayonet and an entrenching tool they wouldn't be overly concerned.

I love the jarheads even though the Marine guards at the gates at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard stopped my van and searched it 14 times!

Coworker bitd was an ex Marine. He was pretty short and brought in a picture where he had exited a landing craft. The water was over his head but he was wading towards the beach with his rifle held over his head, out of the water. God bless the Corps!

 

[Actionjick]

Really? You can't leave us hanging like that. That's twice in the last week you mentioned it. Come clean. What's the story? -- jim

On YouTube check out: Stories of an Old Sailor, The Cucumber Story. Short video by young coworker for his final at Kent State.?

It would take about an hour for me to type it out, much easier this way.