electrical problems?

Question

hopefully someone can answer this!!! i lost electricity in three rooms in my house today. i checked all the circuts everything seems fine. the wierd thing is when i turn my dryer on the electric works but when i shut my dryer off it dont work again. WHATS GOING ON? the dryer is wired in its own 220 circut, so i dont see how it would have anything to do with this problem? PLEASE HELP

Answer 1

You lost a neutral connection. This is a very dangerous condition and can fry your tv and computers and other electronics. Call an electrician right away.

JFYI:
The 240 volt dryer returns the unbalanced 120 volt load on the other circuits. That takes the place of the neutral and allows the circuit to work. That symptom also tells a trained and qualified electrician what the exact problem is: An open neutral on one or more circuits. And that puts some loads in series with 240 volts. Not good for most 120 volt items, and dangerous too.

Answer 2

While there is a more serious under lying problem since the dryer seems to turn everything back on, I'd look for a breaker that has gone bad, or a broken distribution bar in the breaker box. Nothing ever suddenly goes as bad as you describe "over night". Your issue is 1 breaker since one breaker, IF the house was wired properly, will control lights and outlets in 2 or more rooms. The only way that the dryer can restore power to the affected rooms is that it is back feeding into the mains, which is doubtful, or one breaker is also tied into the circuits in question. The only other possibility, and this is VERY dangerous, the white neutral wire is loose, and is allowing power into the affected circuits that you no longer have power to. You really need to investigate this. Either get an electrician, or if you are trained, you can do it yourself. This is dangerous enough to put the house at risk for a fire.

Answer 3

if your smelling sulfur, then that's the acid interior the battery. It smells of rotten eggs. in case you scent sulfur, if the battery is bulged on the factors, or if the battery otherwise seems to be undesirable, replace the battery. A $10 digital volt meter from radio shack or different areas keep is the main suitable gadget for attempting out an alternator. The battery could desire to learn 12.6 volts whilst charged and the engine off. whilst the engine is started, the voltage could desire to study extra or less 14 volts, often some tenths larger. to aim the alternator under load, placed all your lighting fixtures furnishings on, turn on the vents to intense, electric defrosters on, and different electric lots on. Then verify the voltage. It shouldn't drop in voltage extra then some tenths of a volt. If it does, you desire a sparkling alternator. notice that the alternator won't be able to be wisely checked till the electric connections are sparkling to the battery, the battery is charged and in solid subject.

Answer 4

someone ask rodsdan where to get a 220 lamp to plug into the dryer circuit.

Answer 5

strange that your dryer controls the other 3 rooms.

if this is the case, then i would suggest that the dryer circuit is incorrectly wired, such that it is acting as the "switch" for the other ring circuit.

who wired the dryer and when?

anther possibility is that a wire is not correctly tightened down thus opening the rest of the circuit.

what have you actually checked?

Answer 6

did you check to see if you not missing a hot or ground.
it sounds like you are missing a ground. is this an older house or newer house. there is a cheap tester from the store that you can use to tell if there is a missing leg at each plug you are having a problem with.

Answer 7

remove the dryer , plug in a desk lamp instead, switch on, then try switching on power to the other rooms....notice brightness of lamps ,if it does change get an electrician, if it dose'nt still get an electrician

Answer 8

Eric, we can't stress this enough, GET A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN. If you were knowledgable enough to do this on your own you wouldn't need our help. It could be very dangerous.