Question for electricians.

[jiggerjake]

Al, have you tried this yet? ^^^^
Try resetting them (even if they don't look tripped). Off, and back on.

+3 on this^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[enforcer410]

check to see if you have a gfi tripped in the garage or around the area, not in the panel but at the outlet.

[Dave A]

Play it safe and wait on the electrician.

[Al from Canada]

Play it safe and wait on the electrician.

That's the plan.

[okhawg]

That's the plan.

Make sure all your smoke detectors are working, just in case.

[delee36]

where exactly did you hear the pop?
from the ceiling or the switch?

There are a few different possibilities.
Like someone else suggest, flip the breaker off and then back on again. Breakers can trip and the handle not throw completely. Also - I thought Canada has been using Arc Fault Breakers for awhile now. You breaker does not have a reset button?

The pop sounds like a make-up has gone on you.

[bpicinc]

If breakers are not tripped then the pop you heard could be a connection in a J box in the attic. One of the wire nuts got loose. Be sure to kill the power before opening J Box.

[Al from Canada]

where exactly did you hear the pop?
from the ceiling or the switch?

There are a few different possibilities.
Like someone else suggest, flip the breaker off and then back on again. Breakers can trip and the handle not throw completely. Also - I thought Canada has been using Arc Fault Breakers for awhile now. You breaker does not have a reset button?

The pop sounds like a make-up has gone on you.

The pop was in the ceiling and I would guess it was the ballast going.

[Nova Kaw 650]

The pop was in the ceiling and I would guess it was the ballast going.

That wouldn't knock out the rest of the lights without tripping a breaker or burning off a wire.

[pa.X19]

That's the plan.

Trouble shooting sequence is over

[Al from Canada]

That wouldn't knock out the rest of the lights without tripping a breaker or burning off a wire.

Hopefully early next week I'll have the answer.

[markheb]

My guess is that it's a loose connection of the black wire in the junction box above the light in the laundry room.

[Al from Canada]

My guess is that it's a loose connection of the black wire in the junction box above the light in the laundry room.

Hmmm.....that could make sense. I'm going to have him put in a new led fixture so we'll see.

[fishnfool38]

I just rewired a complete house where they tied all the wires together in the ceiling box at the lights then ran a switch leg to wall switches. Not one wire nut in the whole house. I can't believe it had not burnt. Like a few said above you probably have a loose wire nut in the ceiling but the pop should have shorted the breaker or breaker could be bad not tripping and burnt the wire off. Seen this a lot too.

Send the jet down I'll come fix it.

[Al from Canada]

Have to wonder why a wire nut would be loose after 30 years though.

[fishnfool38]

Have to wonder why a wire nut would be loose after 30 years though.

Heat cycles expansion and contraction. Normally not an issue with copper but aluminum will loosen a lug over time. The house I spoke of before was copper with wires crimped and taped 80% of them had heated and burned wires so I had to cut, repair and replace some. This is what causes a lot of house fires.
Really we can speculate all night without a test meter and pulling some stuff apart its a guessing game. That's bad in the electrical world.
I would advise waiting for the electrician as well.

[jbassman87]

Have to wonder why a wire nut would be loose after 30 years though.

Back to the ghost theory.

[SoonerFan]

Have to wonder why a wire nut would be loose after 30 years though.

Idiot Theory: Perhaps the person who put the wire nut on was an idiot.

I"ve put on wire nuts...thought it was a tight connection and when tested it pulled apart. Maybe the guy didn't or couldn't test the strength of his connection and 30 years of expansion and contraction popped it loose.

Who knows until it's dug into?

[Ballengee]

Al, A question because I am just wondering. Is Canada 110 or 220? Doesn't really make any difference, just wondering.

My Dad was an electrician and first thing he taught me was to never do anything unless you have a multi-meter and know how to use it. It is dangerous if you grab the wrong wires on purpose or by accident.

[5keepers2]

It is hard to tell if a breaker is tripped by just looking. If you have legend list and know the exact breaker turn it off and back on to be sure it is on. If most things go back to working you know it was tripped. Some times breakers go bad after being tripped.....it is rare but does happen. Very easy to check for voltage on outlet side of breaker.
Let us know what problem is and I am sure most of us are curious.