2007-02-05 06:57:00 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It is common when starting heavy-load items for lights to dim temporarily. This is because the starting load of many devices is much higher than its running load. So for the first second or so, it might draw an enormous amount of current, and then ease up once it gets running. You will notice this when a window air conditioner starts, or your refrigerator cycles on.
However, if you turn on the microwave, and the lights dim, and they STAY dim the entire time it is running, this means you have a lot of load on the same circuit that the microwave is plugged into. The circuit is probably loaded very close to its limit.
If you truly overload the circuit, the circuit breaker should trip off in your electrical panel to protect you. But it is not a good idea to permanently run things this way.
It's common practice to put microwaves on their own separate circuit to avoid this problem. And if you really want to get rid of the dimming lights, that's what you need to do. If your circuit
breaker is tripping every once in a while when you do this, you REALLY need to get a new circuit put in there, and NOW. This would mean you are routinely overloading the circuit and depending on the breaker to keep you from burning your house down -- BAD idea.
In older homes, or with many existing wiring situations, it's not always easy or practical to chop walls apart in order to run wiring for a new circuit. I have a microwave that is not on its own circuit, but it is on a 20-amp circuit, so I don't suffer much "dimming" effect at all when I turn it on.
You might try plugging the microwave into other outlets to try to find one on a circuit that is less heavily loaded. But don't be surprised if all the outlets nearby act the same because they are all on the same circuit.
2007-02-05 07:24:13 · answer #1 · answered by visibleholstein 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, microwaves draw a lot of current, especially the larger ones. I was talking to an electrician recently as I am going to have my service upgraded. He was telling me that modern code requires microwaves to have their own circuit.
I live in a very old house and there are many devices/appliances on the same circuit as the microwave. We have to use caution when operating the microwave so that we don't trip the breaker.
Do you have circuit breakers in your house? If you do, the most likely thing to happen is that you trip your breaker. If you have fuses then the fuse will go. Either way, you should be protected against anything horrible happening. The light dimming is just the electricity's way of telling you that your using a lot of it and there is a good chance that your lights are on the same circuit.
2007-02-05 15:12:37 · answer #2 · answered by Bman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like your fuse are interacting with each other. Meaning your Microwave maybe stronger than the outlet can handle. That is a very dangerous thing. Your lights should never dim, especially with something small like a microwave. You need to look in your fuse box, check all the fuses to see a problem. That usually happens in older homes. If you think it serious, just call an electrician. Over the phone advice is a great way to start, they will let you know if it is serious.
2007-02-05 16:08:40 · answer #3 · answered by mica 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how much dimming you get. I wouldn't be too concerned about a little bit of dimming, but if it is appreciable, you may have a loose wiring connection in one of the receptacles. A loose connection will cause overheating, which may cause a fire.
This is a problem with some older homes like mine, that were built with aluminum wiring because of the high cost of copper at that time. The aluminum wire, being soft, would cold flow over time and increase the resistance of the connection at the screw terminals of the receptacles. As the resistance increased, heat was generated which for some people caused their receptacles to burn. I was lucky, and fixed the problem before any damage was done.
If you are so inclined, turn off the circuit breaker and then check the tightness of the screws on the sides of the receptacles. The screws should be screwdriver tight.
2007-02-05 16:51:01 · answer #4 · answered by Tech Dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Too many items on one circuit. You may need to upgrade your fuse box. Put in a fuse for the microwave only, redirect the wiring
2007-02-05 15:07:19 · answer #5 · answered by Cheryl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well this is fairly common, not only with microwaves but other appliances as well, hair dryers etc. You should probably check that all the fuses at home are ok.
2007-02-05 15:03:57 · answer #6 · answered by cib0385 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
too many items on one circuit. the microwave should be on a dedicated circuit (it's own).
2007-02-05 15:02:55 · answer #7 · answered by car dude 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋