1. Home
  2. Hobby Electronics Basics
  3. Is it a mouse that dims the lights?

Is it a mouse that dims the lights?

We've had mice in the area below the house from time to time that have been heard in the walls somewhat frequently. Several months ago we had a lot of land cleared around the house, and the mice seem to have disappeared. They had too much cover to hide in. I did see one about 30' from the house yesterday. Possibly a mole.

Anyway, my wife thinks they may have chomped on some electrical wires in the walls. She says some lights have dimmed on occasion for a very short period. I have my doubts, but how would one test for some damage? There probably is no easy way, so I think we need to wait for better evidence. Comments?

Reply to
W. eWatson
Loading thread data ...
[snip]

in

Does the dimming occur when a particular light switch is turned on, or when a particular appliance kicks in? Talk to an electrician about whether the wire used in your house is mouse-resistant or not.

Any short that is substantial enough to dim lights should trip a breaker, but if you're still unsure, find a local contractor/ electrician who has a thermal imager to check the walls for hot spots.

While he's at it, maybe he can find cold spots where you need to add insulation! :)

Reply to
Randy Day

(...)

A mouse can be a red herring, in this case. :)

Turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse powering the circuit in question and:

For regular base light bulbs, unscrew each of them and polish the gunge off of the lightbulb base using a pencil eraser or fine abrasive cloth. Rub off the debris with a cotton cloth. (I use a little naphtha or alcohol on the cloth to trap gunge.) "Shiny" is your friend.

(Clearly I mean the bulb per se and not the fixture here!)

Please check your switched wall outlets. Those that you find installed using the 'stab' method will need to be removed and re-wired using the screws on the side of the outlet. Damaged outlets are to be replaced, not re-used.

formatting link
or:
formatting link

Please check your light switches. They can wear out and cause dimming. Same is true for the circuit breaker that powers them.

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.