[conspire] Computer Gremlins -- bad AC power?

[Rick Moen]

Paul Zander wrote:

> I had a similar situation some years ago.  Basically every time my
> neighbor's new air conditioner switched on my lights would dim.
> Multiple calls to PG&E over several weeks.

To reiterate a point I made earlier, in hopes that my broad hint will
sink in, this time:

Back a few years ago, when we had lights suddenly dimming and
brightening, and suspected something systemically wrong, we called in a
professional electrian _first_, and he was able to give an expert
diagnosis that the PG&E incoming 'neutral' line was no longer
functional.  _Armed_ with that intelligence from an actual electrician
as opposed to just a resident making a loose claim to PG&E, we were able
to have PG&E send a truck that same day -- and _not_ go through multiple
calls to PG&E over several weeks.

Essentially, I had amateur-eyeballed the symptoms as potentially
ominous, estimated the potential damage to household appliances and
electric gear as ruinous, and concluded that getting paid-by-me expert
scrutiny right-freakin'-now was justified.  And I was correct.

The only confirmed long-term damage is that the digital clock in our
oven has been wonky since that day.  But I may have averted untold tens
of thousands of dollars in other damage by not sodding around and hiring
a professional to check things _immediately_.

Sometimes, "pay for an expert" is the smart move.

I cannot speak to whether the symptoms Dana reported are equivalently
ominous, especially as I have only his second-hand report and no direct
knowledge.  He (and his father the property-owner) will need to -- or,
at least, should -- make a similar judgement call, yes or not, to what 
I did.  But what I'm saying is, _if_ in your judgement there's
significant risk of a house-systemic electrical feed problem, don't sod
around.

And it sounded, to me, like a situation justifying calling in the pros.
(I've now said that twice, and will not keep repeating myself.)