So mad!!!! Electric problems?

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:01 PM

I am so irritated! DH and I had to turn on the air the other day. It was SO hot in here and if there if one thing I cannot deal with its being hot. I swear I would move to Alaska if DH said yeah, dead serious. So it was not working. Maintenance came and went into our closet where the fuses are and said we blew it from messing with the AC to much (which we only touched it once) and he flicked it off and back on and viola it works! Later that night DH noticed the fridge light was out. I just figured the bulb blew. Today I go to make dinner....everything is warm as heck in the fridge and everything in freezer is melted. TONS of groceries just wasted. DH went into the room where the fuses are and flicked all of them on and off and viola fridge works. What gives?! We are like $200 out of groceries now!!!!

Another weird thing happened. Last night I go to plug in my cell phone charger and all of a sudden all the lights and everything goes off in the house. I unplug it and everything turns back on. What in the world?!

I don't know how I am going to make it this week with no food. I mean everything is trash

Wayne says its our fault we did not notice it...but I did not go in the fridge after DH said the light was out. I mean, it happens that the bulb blows...

Gah!!!

**Libby** · 04-08-2010, 09:09 PM

You are blowing the fuses non stop. Maybe try plugging in items on different plugs? Sounds like the fridge/AC are on the same circuit and it can't handle the electricity demand.

If possible, ask the landlord or super to come up to help you figure out which plugs are on the same circuit and make a map on paper for your future reference.

IE you plugging in a blender/crockpot for dinner one day may blow the fridge circuit again.

The bright side, you know how to fix it the next time this happens.

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:16 PM

The plug where I put in my cell phone, nothing else was plugged in there, and if the fridge can't handle the AC then what do I do about that?? That should be something they should have fixed instead of me loosing $200 in groceries.

I'm just so upset about this.

**daughter of pearl** · 04-08-2010, 09:21 PM

Are you by chance in a basement apartment, or a flat in a house? It sounds like when creating the separate dwelling, they overloaded the circuits.

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:23 PM

I am in a first floor apartment. There is first floor and second floor.

**Libby** · 04-08-2010, 09:24 PM

If you're consistently blowing fuses by plugging in a cell phone charger - there's something wrong with the wiring. If you know how its wired, you'll know better where to plug stuff in. The only person who would know is bldg mgmt or maintenance. When you call bldg mgmt, I'd explain the groceries but not put it on them this time but if you continually blow fuses b/c you don't know how your apt is wired, I'd start to blame them.

Its faster and more cost effective to ask them vs playing hit or miss and wasting $ on spoiled groceries until you figure it out.

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:25 PM

Yeah I am not gonna tell them to give me the money or anything for them, but it still stinks. I always plug my cell phone in there...this is the first time that happened.

**frugalfoster** · 04-08-2010, 09:33 PM

That's really weird....sounds like a short in the wiring or something...how old is this apt building?

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:37 PM

Not really sure...I think old though.

**daughter of pearl** · 04-08-2010, 09:46 PM

Any chances that you have renter's insurance? if so, you might get some $$ for the spoiled food.

When you talk to your landlord about this, just to be on the safe side, put everything in writing. This might get serious, since it might involve him rewiring the house, and you have more power if you can pull out a bunch of emails or letters with dates when you have approached him about the problem.

You poor thing...I hate this kind of stuff!

**AnW819** · 04-08-2010, 09:53 PM

I do have renters insurance!

**rudypoo98** · 04-08-2010, 09:58 PM

Your flipping breakers not blowing fuses which is basicaly the same thing.You need to go find out which breaker is for what and can do that yourself by flipping them off and go see what went off.My house is wired kind of wierd I think, parts of a room are on different breakers.Some of the livingroom is on some of the kitchen and some of this room,computer room,is on some of the kitchen and some of the rooms upstairs.I know what all my breakers are for by doing that,you can label each one and what it runs so you know which one to flip back on if goes off again.Is the air conditioner 220 or 110 ? Sometimes they wire off of 220 and go down to 110 my daughters house was like that.

**daughter of pearl** · 04-08-2010, 10:02 PM

Call your insurance company tomorrow and explain what has happened. Do you have any receipts or possibly picture of your freezer full of food? Not sure if you will need them but it can't hurt if you do.

Go get em!