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Lately, I've noticed this phenomenon in my home. Whenever I put a heavy load on the electrical system (such as turning on the dryer or using the garbage disposal), certain lights in the house dim and certain lights actually get brigher for about a half second. Both lights will return to normal brightness at the same time.
I can understand lights getting dimmer if there is a voltage drop (and maybe this means I need heavier wire), but I don't know why some of the lights would get brighter. This concerns me. Should I be worried?
The house was built approximately 10 years ago. The wiring is Romex with white sheathing, but I don't know the gauge or wattage rating. I'm guessing 12 gauge because I have some wiring with orange sheathing that is 10 gauge in the attic for the Furnace/AC unit.
Some voltage dip is normal and caused by the starting of a motor, which draws more current (as much as 6-7 times running current) until it gets close to running speed. The "depth" of the dip depends on how large the motor is and how electrically "close" it is to the ultimate power source (i.e. wire sizes and length). The length of the dip depends on the connected load; the longer it takes the motor to start, the longer the dip. On a three-phase system (you don't have this in a home), voltage can rise during fault conditions on un-faulted phases if the grounding is not solid. This wouldn't seem to apply to you but I would check the system grounding at least at the breaker box.
The other possibility is relative perception. If some lights dim, others (on a different circuit) may appear to get brighter.
You can't tell the size of the wire from the outside since insulation thickness varies and there are no color codes for the cable sheath. All newer romex cable has the size and number of conductors printed on it. You may be able to read the printing if you can see enough of the cable. Number 12 is a very good bet for most lighting circuits.
Dave.
Are the dryer and garbage disposal on stand alone circuits? If not, consider it. Any demand that includes a motor should be on its own circuit. Also freezers, refrigerators, TVs, computers, air conditioners, etc. will last longer if given their own circuit. This is why the 20 circuit panel is not only convenient, but also necessary.
Surge protectors and UPS are strongly recommended for computers and other high-end electronics.
Due to power company surges, brownouts, and blackouts, I have added surge protection to refigerators, microwaves and tv/radio circuits. Each computer has its own UPS, and all phone lines for the computes run through surge protectors.
Have an electrician check for a loose neutral conductor at your electrical service. An unbalanced voltage can occur between the line voltage conductors and the neutral causing a voltage drop on one line and an increase on the other. This could account for dimmer lights in one area and brighter lights in another. The neutral conductor is what "balances" the load. This would occur with 120 volt leavy loads such as a disposal or refrigerator.
"The house was built approximately 10 years ago. The wiring is Romex with white sheathing, but I don't know the gauge or wattage rating. I'm guessing 12 gauge because I have some wiring with orange sheathing that is 10 gauge in the attic for the Furnace/AC unit."
The majority of homes are wired with 14 gauge, unless given different directions.
