APC UPS says there's a wiring fault in my home...

[Jeff7181]

This has me a bit concerned because a microwave on the same circuit sh!t the bed, and I'm wondering if that could have caused a problem in the wiring, or if the problem in the wiring could have caused the microwave to fail. This concerns me because my PC is on the same circuit. When that light is lit, what does it mean? Should I have an electrician come out ASAP?

 

[tnitsuj]

Do you have an older house. It might not really be a grounded outlet.

 

[Jeff7181]

It's about 20 years old... the light was never on before... I just noticed it while leaning over the back of the computer to plug in a USB peripheral.

 

[nodoubts2k]

My surge protector also says that in one outlet but not the other. Same at work, so i assume its nothing big

 

[Jeff7181]

What concerns me is that it was never on before and now it is. I know the wiring in this house isn't great because nothing in this house is great, the plumbing sucks, the roof sucks, the garage sucks, and I'm assuming the wiring sucks too. Wonder if it's possible to get an insurance break if I have all the wiring redone with quality copper wiring instead of aluminum?

 

My power strip LED lit up last year in the dorms indicating a wiring fault. Everyone had expensive computer stuff hooked up and I never met anyone who had a power problem b/c of it. I wouldn't worry...microwaves die every now and then; my family has been through 3 of them since the mid-80s b/c they die about every 10 years.

 

[flot]

Go to home depot and buy a $10 "outlet tester" (if you ask, they'll know what it is)

IT's a little plug in thing with 4-5 lights on it. The pattern of lights that light up will tell you what the wiring fault is, and you can use that info to come to a better conclusion. It is probably not a HUGE deal, but it is one of those things that has the potential to be dangerous. Chances are, no matter what it is, it's a cheap fix. But at least this way you'll know what the issue is. (or if your UPS is lying to you)

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: flot
Go to home depot and buy a $10 "outlet tester" (if you ask, they'll know what it is)

IT's a little plug in thing with 4-5 lights on it. The pattern of lights that light up will tell you what the wiring fault is, and you can use that info to come to a better conclusion. It is probably not a HUGE deal, but it is one of those things that has the potential to be dangerous. Chances are, no matter what it is, it's a cheap fix. But at least this way you'll know what the issue is. (or if your UPS is lying to you)

Thanks, I'll probably go get that today.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
What concerns me is that it was never on before and now it is. I know the wiring in this house isn't great because nothing in this house is great, the plumbing sucks, the roof sucks, the garage sucks, and I'm assuming the wiring sucks too. Wonder if it's possible to get an insurance break if I have all the wiring redone with quality copper wiring instead of aluminum?

What probably happened is that the grounding circuit got corroded outside somewhere. That third prong is just wired into a big metal spike in the ground outside your house and sometimes the connection to that corrodes, leaving the ground prong un-grounded. If it's not sensing a ground, then the fault light will come on. This is not a problem for the appliances, but it can be a safety issue if something short-circuits. I would have it looked at, but it's not a huge issue.

ZV

 

[Fiveohhh]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
What concerns me is that it was never on before and now it is. I know the wiring in this house isn't great because nothing in this house is great, the plumbing sucks, the roof sucks, the garage sucks, and I'm assuming the wiring sucks too. Wonder if it's possible to get an insurance break if I have all the wiring redone with quality copper wiring instead of aluminum?

What probably happened is that the grounding circuit got corroded outside somewhere. That third prong is just wired into a big metal spike in the ground outside your house and sometimes the connection to that corrodes, leaving the ground prong un-grounded. If it's not sensing a ground, then the fault light will come on. This is not a problem for the appliances, but it can be a safety issue if something short-circuits. I would have it looked at, but it's not a huge issue.

ZV

My guess too.

 

[Wag]

Probably something wrong with the UPS.

I had an APC with the same problem, eventually it became unusable because the "fault" light kept coming on. I replaced it and the problem is gone.