I'm having an odd problem with a lighting circuit. 3 sets of lights are on this circuit:
1) Exterior lights, always on (CFL)
2) Kitchen lights on a 3-way circuit, 6 cans & 2 CFLs over the island
3) Accent circuit, halogen pucks via switched receptacles
Occassionally, when switching on the kitchen lights, the lights will come on for a moment, then the whole circuit (including exterior and puck lights) goes dead. The breaker does NOT trip, but if the breaker is reset, the lights will come back on. Sometimes they will blink again and go out, other times the lights will come on as normal and stay on.
This circuit has a cable going from the breaker panel to a 4x4 box with the first kitchen 3-way; the wires are nutted & pigtailed in here and then go to the 2x4 box for the puck switch where they're nutted & pigtailed again. All cabling is NM. This first box is only about 3' from the panel, which is 2 stud-bays over on the opposite site of the wall, in the garage.
1) This circuit was installed 18 months ago during construction of the addition; the problems started about 1 month ago. Right about the time it got really cold, but also coinciding with increased activity in the room above the kitchen (the room above the kitchen was only finished 2 months ago).
2) Happens whether the pucks are on or off
3) Replaced breaker, still occurs
4) Inspected and remade the first wirenuts in the first box, the only splice common to the whole circuit. The L & N nuts were tight, and with no indication of arcing. The ground was also securely bonded.
4) Unscrewing two CFLs from the kitchen seemed to reduce symptoms, but not eliminate them.
5) Problems never observed when kitchen lights are off, only when the kitchen lights are turned on.
What might be causing this? I'm at a loss for what to check next. I'll leave the panel cover off the next few days to check for a high-impedance fault or open neutral if it occurs again, but that's about all I can think to do. Loose neutral in the panel maybe?
Last edited by SteveFehr; 01/22/08 08:03 AM.
