I have a strange issue, and I was wondering is someone could help. I have a light in my garage that is on a GE switch. A couple of weeks ago it stopped working and I assumed it was burned out (I hadnt replaced it yet). This morning I went out adn the bulb was flashing on and off and there was a clicking sound coming out of the switch. I have never seen this happen until this morning. Does anyhone have any ideas what that could be?
Had this happen. Switch is fried. Upgrade opportunity!!
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Likely a faulty switch.
If you haven't already pull power from it at the breaker (not the disconnect on the switch) for a few minutes to do a full reset on it.
It may come back to life, but probably not.
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Thanks, I'll try to reset it when I get home. It wouldn't surprise me if it was fried, We had a lengthy black out a few weeks ago (over 18 hours) and our internet has been all wonky for about a month now (that brings up a whole other project).
If it is fried, it won't break my heart actually. It's the only GE switch I have, and I'm not particularly happy with it. I have an old Innovelli that I never installed. Maybe I'll throw that one in. I've held off replacing any of my switches until the new innovelli switches were more widely available.
If you're in an area susceptible to power fluctuation, especially surges, consider installing a whole house surge protector. While it will not protect from a direct lightning strike, it will protect against surges generated by distant strikes, or by malfunctioning equipment within your house.
I have this Eaton unit. Eaton's spiel on it can be found here.
Edit: My cable company (Cox) installs this Siemens unit for incoming cable; it is connected by a 12 ga solid conductor to the ground rod. I also have one of these gas discharge coax surge protector between the modem and the incoming coax.
Touch wood - I've have no equipment loss in the last 5+ years, but lost a few things (TiVO DVR, BluRay player, TV, rice cooker) before installing protectors.
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I have thought about it. Do I need to have an electrician install it? Or can I do it my self? Generally our power is pretty reliable, but at least once a year (usually in the summer and on one of the hotest days) we have a lengthy (12 hour plus) black out. They aren't rolling black outs for conservation. They usually blame it on a contractor cutting a line, equipment malfunction, drunk driver hitting a pole you name it.
I did it myself. The Eaton device is a Type 2 SPD. This means it has to be installed after the main breaker in your panel. It needs to be installed on its own double-pole breaker. Since you can turn off the main breaker during installation, the panel isn't hot while you're working in there. So it is relatively safe.
Here's a nice video on YouTube demonstrating its installation within a panel. It can also be installed in a 0.5" knockout.
These are conditions more likely to cause surges.
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I did mine myself, too. But I'm pretty comfortable working in electrical panels.
Most home ones install after the main breaker, and ideally it should be installed on the closest set of breakers to the main feed. If those are already in use, or spacing is too crowded to install it there, it will still help even if it is not on the 1st set of breakers - there is just a lot higher likelihood that devices physically in between the protector breaker and the main feed will still see surge. But you are no worse off then you are now in that case, but maybe not much better either...
At work I've seen multiple times where they were installed at the bottom of the bus on a top fed panel (thus being farthest from the main feed), and devices in between still got zapped. Would they have if the device was next to the feed, where it is supposed to be? Who knows.
Sometimes you get lucky and have a bottom fed panel. On most bottom fed panels I've seen, the electrician still installs the fuses top down - thus leaving the breaker spots closest to the feed unused.
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