nealtw
Contractor retired
Can you take a video and capture the sound.
I wonder if squirrels light up when you electrocute them :trophy:
Replacing switches in bath 4-function exhaust/heater/lights unit
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Can you take a video and capture the sound.
I wonder if squirrels light up when you electrocute them :trophy:
Thanks.
Not that you would need the meter in the attic, just for voltage tests at the switch box.
You may need to venture into the attic to determine the source of the noise.
As lengthy and cumbersome as the process may seem, there is a method and it is simply a process of elimination.
Medium rare is quite tasty.
Understood - I recognize the need to go through the process and I appreciate the help. I am not in a hurry, just want to go about this in a methodical way while minimizing any damage to my home and property.
With that said, I've been hesitant to allow the noise/buzz/hum to go on for longer than a second or two and in all instances except one I've been in the basement at a far corner of the house operating the circuit breaker. What is the likelihood that it will be safe enough to let the noise continue for a minute or two while I figure out where it's coming from? Will the circuit breaker prevent anything dangerous from occurring? Or is the source of the noise likely not dangerous?
I realize that I am asking a couple of hypotheticals here. Basically I am thinking that to determine where the noise is coming from I am going to have to let the noise continue for a few minutes.
I have to hit the hay for tonight but I will be back to continue this. Thanks again to all of you.
! more thing. Do you have an attic exhaust?
nealtw
Contractor retired
Turn on 4B and see if all the outlets come on.
Check to see if you have power at your open switch box.
If you have no power to that open box and no power to some of the gfci, the gfcis will be on the same circuit and will have to be checked.
nealtw
Contractor retired
Hard wired smoke detectors, sometimes sound a signal when power is restored.
slownsteady
Well-Known Member
If you are really worried, you need two people and two cell phones. One person is positioned at the breaker and you pre-position yourself near the noise. Turn it on long enough to get a better sense of the noise, and have the breaker person shut it off. then go to where the noise was coming from (ie. the attic) and have the breaker turned on again. Keep working this way until you zero in.
it might also be smart to familiarize yourself (to have a clear idea) of the different sounds you might hear; a mechanical buzz does not sound exactly like an arcing circuit.
it might also be smart to familiarize yourself (to have a clear idea) of the different sounds you might hear; a mechanical buzz does not sound exactly like an arcing circuit.
I wouldnt worry about leaving it on for a few minutes to track down the sound. You have a working breaker in place and if anything was overloading that would trip. Figure out if the noise is coming from the fan or something else. Thats number one.
Yes, there is an attic fan that is on a switch and another attic fan that is on an automatic thermostat. The automatic attic exhaust fan is on the other end of the house, though.
Ok, so the mystery continues. Tonight I tried operating both the 4a and 4b circuits, independently, trying to determine which one the GFCIs in the hall bath are on. I also plan to use my multi-meter to confirm my belief that the Nutone is on the circuit 4b.
But first, to recap from yesterday... I discovered that the 6 GFCI outlets in my hall bath (the other bathroom without the Nutone) were no longer operating. They have small LEDs on them and none of them were lit. Then I checked the circuit panel again and discovered that circuit 4 is not a double breaker but actually two independent circuits, 4a & 4b. When I operated the 4a circuit I heard a buzzing sound that I had been hearing since I had started this project. When I operated 4b by itself I did not hear any noise. Later in the evening I had depressed the test/reset buttons on all of the GFCIs in the hall bath and none did anything.
So back to tonight ... I had a friend help me operate the circuit breakers and I was positioned upstairs ready to figure out where the noise was coming from, as well as see which circuit would bring my LEDs back on the GFCIs. Guess what, we operated both circuits and neither created the buzz nor did either of the circuits bring the GFCIs back to life. I even tried depressing the test/reset buttons while both the 4a and 4b circuits were energized.
Could my depressing of the test/reset buttons have changed something?
nealtw
Contractor retired
You are supposed to bring info that would help solve this:rofl:
We don't know if those plugs were working before you started so turn on one breaker and check for one or more live wires at the open switch box. And turn the other one on.
Let's deal with the gfcis later.
We don't know if those plugs were working before you started so turn on one breaker and check for one or more live wires at the open switch box. And turn the other one on.
Let's deal with the gfcis later.
If it is substantially cooler, IE. below the low limit of the thermostat, that fan will not activate.
Which does not eliminate it from the process, because hollow attics carry sound, even those insulated.
Does the switch operated fan operate correctly?
I believe the hot pair is entering the switch box at the center on the right side and is just a black, white and grnd. conductor. Meter between the black and the grnd. However if there is no reading, untie the whites and meter from the black to the white.
When you say 6 GFCI, are you reffering to 6 duplex recep. or 3 duplex recep.?
These are smart GFCI and tell you, by the LED, when power is available.
GFCI will wear out, but it's from being stressed, not at rest.
At this point you'll need to start taking plugs apart, but start where you believe the first in line is.
slownsteady
Well-Known Member
Ok, so if the buzz is declared solved, let's concentrate on the Nutone. Have you figured out which wire is the hot one?
nealtw
Contractor retired
I have been trying t figure why someone needs six outlets in a bathroom. And why would they all be gfci s
Then they all could be junction boxes after a main panel was moved.
But then they all should not go out at the same time.
Then they all could be junction boxes after a main panel was moved.
But then they all should not go out at the same time.
slownsteady
Well-Known Member
I agree, that is weird, and may indicate more weird wiring. But let's solve the master bath first.
nealtw
Contractor retired
Forgetting the gfci outlets in the other bathroom for the time being, I want to check the 5 wires I have at the switch for the 4-function nutone device. Would you guys be able to give me the steps to using my multi-meter? I realize that I want to make sure I have it on the right setting. And then where do i touch my black and red leads?
You want to set it on AC volts and a scale that goes over 120V there should be a 240V setting you want to then check between each wire and the bare copper ground wire or at the wire nut where the white wires are. You should see no voltage on any except the one I pointed out before is your incoming hot wire.
nealtw
Contractor retired
With mine, I set it on 150 volts AC.
Black to ground, red to the find the power
If that doesn't work put the black to the cluster of whites.
Black to ground, red to the find the power
If that doesn't work put the black to the cluster of whites.
Whether your meter has plugin selections or a rotary dial to select the function, you need the RED probe to be in the "+" or AC voltage function and in a numerical range above 240.
In the AC function the RED probe is the positive and the BLACK probe is the negative, or in meters where both leads are loose, movable and plug-in's, is the common slot.
You contact the BLACK probe to the grnd. or bare copper conductor and I believe the hot pair is entering the switch box at the center on the right side and is just a black, white and grnd. conductor. Meter between the black and the grnd. However if there is no reading, untie the whites and meter from the black to the white.
