Ghosts in the AC

[imported_joetech]

I've had some very strange things happening in my house. We have a coffee grinder in our kitchen. Lately, whenever anyone goes down into the basement where the pantry is, directly under the place where the coffee grinder is and turns on the overhead light, the grinder comes on. Its happened before with no one in the pantry or even moving around. Its gone off by itself will I was the only one in the house quietly reading the newspaper. True, the light in the pantry and the grinder are on the same curcuit, but so are the coffee maker and toaster. The light in the pantry is a flourescent. Vibration cant be the cause. We are always openning and closing doors and drawers all around the grinder and nothing happens. Lately its happened everytime (3times this week) anyone goes into the pantry and turns on the light. However, we have had it happen even if we go to the pantry without even touching the light. poltergeist anyone?

 

[So]

is it a simple on/off switch grinder or something more complicated?

 

[TekViper]

get a new grinder or put another switch inline with the cord.

 

[Analog]

I'll bet its like mine - a grinder that is not simple on/off. Mine has a torque sensor which tells it when to stop grinding. It could be faulty, and picking up a transient from the light's ballast circuit. Flourescent lights need a higher voltage between electrodes to light, which requires a ballast.

 

[imported_joetech]

Yes the grinder does have a more complicated switch. I could be a torgue switch, You set the number of "cups" and it grinds different amounts but isnt all that accurate or consistent. The voltage surge from a ballast makes sense but doesn't explain the few times it went off without turning on the light. Its not a big deal that it does go off by itself. Its just a curiousity.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: joetech
Yes the grinder does have a more complicated switch. I could be a torgue switch, You set the number of "cups" and it grinds different amounts but isnt all that accurate or consistent. The voltage surge from a ballast makes sense but doesn't explain the few times it went off without turning on the light. Its not a big deal that it does go off by itself. Its just a curiousity.

Simple, the coffee grinder is somehow defective. Doesen't sound like it really has anything to do with your houses wiring or electricity.

 

[wfbberzerker]

no! its ghosts! simplest explanation!

 

[PowerEngineer]

I agree that the coffee grinder is most likely faulty, but it's possible you could have some sort of grounding or neutral wiring problem too.

 

[Rubycon]

Is the fluorescent lamp electronically ballasted? Lots of these lamp drivers produce copious amounts of harmonic distortion. This hash when feeding into neighboring appliances with sensitive electronic triggering circuit/proximity switches, etc can often be (falsely) triggered ON.

Install a noise filter on the input side of the lamp ballast driver if applicable.