/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>2593273
>apartment
complain to landlord

>>2593278
That’s not an option and it’s a long story, which is why I’m asking here.

Bump

check for voltage on all receptacles:
120 between hot and neutral
120 between hot and ground
0 between neutral and ground
if you dont get this (+/- 10v) on any standard 120v receptacle it was wired wrong

for 240v:
240 between two hots
120 between hot and ground
120 between other hot and ground
120 between hot and neutral (if applicable)
120 between other hot and neutral (if applicable)

>>2593285
>That’s not an option and it’s a long story, which is why I’m asking here.
If you're living in an apartment and can't get your landlord to fix shit you're slumming somewhere and no multimeter is going to help. If your plugs are killing things intermittently and not as soon as you plug things in, it's power surges (Lightening, etc)

Sounds like a circuit is overloaded and not tripping. My guess is an improperly bonded neutral which lopsided the load and fucked your voltage.

Check all of your receptacles and lights. If some things are over the correct voltage and some under, there's your issue.

>>2593293
Is that the only thing I should check for? Just the voltage?

Sorry I have pretty much zero electrical knowledge- I was trying to learn and they wanted putting the things into a socket could be dangerous. Is there a way I can prevent this?

>>2593296
I’m asking how I can use the multimeter to check if everything’s good

How do I know it’s a power surge and which thingies do I measure? It is the AC, the DC or the voltage(I think that’s what the third option was called, assuming this is correct since that’s what the other poster suggested to check

>>2593304
How would I check the voltage can you be specific please? Which holes in the photo of my device should the black and red be plugged into?

Also someone said it’s dangerous to do this idk

>>2593307
https://youtu.be/oHdW4Fafn8M

>>2593307
>AC: Alternate Current
Picrel, 200 if 110/120 mains; 300 if 220/240 mains

>>2593307
hello, if you want to figure out really quickly, then do to the following:
post a picture of your unit's main electrical panel (or "breaker box" if you're one of those people), with the door open so we can see the breakers and anything written on the cover or inside the door. just make sure we can read those details

>>2593307
The ones in use in op pic, the other one is for (very) low current only; also pay attention to the 10secs each 15 min warning.

>>2593351
Someone said I will get electrocuted or cause a fire or something

>>2593319
Ok I will watch this

>>2593356

>>2593319
I just watched it, it says to stick the black one inside the left side, and the right one in the right side.

What if the psycho who wired the house reversed them or something?

Also is there anything I can wear to avoid getting electrocuted?

>>2593293
Also am i measuring AC or DC?

And would measuring resistance help and why not?

and which holes should I use?

>>2593351
Okay I’m assuming that’s the correct setting for AC?

>>2593614
mains voltage is AC. If you are asking these questions you probably shouldn't be jamming things into outlets that aren't plugs or fiddling around in the breaker panel.

>>2593640
Idgaf I need help stop being an asshole

>>2593663
That *is* help, you oaf. Its fine not to know something, it's how you learn. But you are asking the simplest possible questions about electrical theory, and are unsure if your house is even AC or DC voltage. Unpacking what resistance is or why it would matter is currently moot to you - because you don't have the foundation knowledge to know what to do with it. Sticking probes randomly into your sockets won't tell you anything if you don't understand what the multimeter is saying. At best, all you'll do is pop your new tool, and then you'll be back at square one. Worst, you learn exactly why you don't jam forks into electrical sockets.
Unironically do some homework, anon, before you make a small problem a big one.

>>2593622
That’s right, but for measuring AC voltage, you want black in the COM hole and red goes in the V(ohm)ma hole (middle)

>>2593666
I came here to get help not to be condescended and told I’m screwed. Fuck off.

>>2593666
Honestly I think OP is underage. There are enough vague threads like this shit out every fucking week it's easy to spot the pattern. "Apartment" where it's not an option for landlord to fix things, "Oh it's a long story" means he's living with mommy and daddy. Complete lack of even the basic knowledge of how his house works, let alone electricity (If he doesn't know line voltage is AC, he probably doesn't know if his house is 110 or 220 based on where he lives) and mysterious and useless information "My appliances are burning out" which means nothing. The biggest tell is when numerous people tell him not to stick things into outlets he gets defensive and continues to not google a fucking thing for himself, not read the instructions on his meter, and insists it's some magic device like a tricorder that will just tell him "Oh this is wrong and why everything is happening" by waving it at the outlet. If OP is not underage (unlikely) then he shouldn't be poking around with the electrical. You do not own those devices and if you fuck it up you're just going to hurt yourself, or make your landlord pissed. If the landlord "can't help, long story" then if not underage he has to be a druggie/squatter. I have too much faith in humanity to believe that someone who is relatively normal/functional doesn't know their house is AC.

If your landlord won't help then hire an electrician. They will check your outlets for probably 30 dollars if all you want to do is make sure they're wired correctly. If you can't afford that I don't know what to tell you, but it will be cheaper than whatever you're attempting to DIY

>>2593613
>What if the psycho who wired the house reversed them or something?
black or red doesn't really matter, all you have to do is plug them into different sockets, you'll know if the house was wired in reverse if you get 120 between neutral and ground, that's why you test every single combination pair. Theo most important thing you have to remember is that if one probe is in the hot socket, the other probe will be live, do not touch it, do not let it touch anything.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AKX8L0M/ref=emc_b_5_t

this device will tell you if a circuit is reversed without having to worry about killing yourself with probes

https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Electrical-Klein-Tools-RT250/dp/B08QW7K1JJ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

this one will also tell you the voltage on a standard 120v receptacle

>>2593273
HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN!

>>2593673

>>2593692
Which one is the hot one?

So I do left and right and also left and bottom and also right and bottom? And which one is which?

THE STICKS ARE TOO SHORT AND DONT GO IN WTF DO I DO

>>2593751
THE METAL POINTS ARENT LONG ENOUGH

>>2593293
Ok it all came back normal now what

>>2593761
Wait until they bogeyman comes back and check it then.

>>2593761
Despite you being both an ass, and an oaf (it's me!), I'll bite again; because I suspect the other anon is correct and you are underage, and I wish to help you learn things. And because you told me to fuck off, so I won't. What does "burning out" mean in regards to your appliances and your bulbs? Be specific. Are the appliances/bulbs actually becoming non-functional, or are they simply turning off? Are you running multiple appliances at the same time? Do they all shut off at the same time, or do they shut off one-by-one? Do you have splitters/power bars in your apartment, and if so, how many? Are the appliances in question hooke to the socket, or the power bar? These are important to know if you wish to solve this. Again, you might want to get over yourself and hire someone who actually knows what they are doing before you end up hurting yourself or breaking something. Yes, this is DIY, but it's not "Do-It-For-Me", and we aren't in the room with you. Have you tried unplugging any of the offending devices for a day, and seeing if the reduced load offers you any relief? And for the record, I was half tempted to give you some directions to blow up your multimeter, just because you'd follow them blindly and actually do so, but again, I wish to help you rather then be petty. So be nice, and try to help us help you.

>>2593769
I think he does it randomly. He’s not a fucking retard. If it was easy for him to get caught with evidence he wouldn’t do it cause he would just go right back to jail.

> What does "burning out" mean in regards to your appliances and your bulbs? Be specific. Are the appliances/bulbs actually becoming non-functional, or are they simply turning off?

The light bulb burns out, turns black on the outside and stops working. I put in a new one and it does the same in a day or two.

> Are you running multiple appliances at the same time?

Not usually. Once I did the microwave at the same time as a kettle though and they kept turning off. Also once it seemed the microwave just shut off on its own, without anything else running. That was while he was home though so he probably was just messing with me again. I also read that might mean the microwave is nearing the end of its life so he probably damaged it since it’s pretty new.

>Do they all shut off at the same time, or do they shut off one-by-one?

When they do shut off it’s at once I’m pretty sure

>Do you have splitters/power bars in your apartment, and if so, how many?

No the ones that got damaged had nothing to do with power bars. Why do you ask? How would a power bar affect this stuff?

>Are the appliances in question hooke to the socket, or the power bar?

Socket

>These are important to know if you wish to solve this. Again, you might want to get over yourself and hire someone who actually knows what they are doing before you end up hurting yourself or breaking something.

No

>>2593772

>>2593779

>Have you tried unplugging any of the offending devices for a day, and seeing if the reduced load offers you any relief?

No the ones that died most of them didn’t share any circuit with anything else

>And for the record, I was half tempted to give you some directions to blow up your multimeter, just because you'd follow them blindly and actually do so, but again, I wish to help you rather then be petty. So be nice, and try to help us help you.
ok

Bump

>>2593676
>They will check your outlets for probably 30 dollars
Electrician here. I dont turn up for less than an up front fee of 150 and 45 per hour. You underestimate how in demand we are. Also lots of people dont know what AC even is. I have to explain it to customers all the time.

>>2593746
google it

>>2593751
bullshit or remove the anti short covers

>>2593795
>>2593756
There are caps on the leads, pull them off and the points will be like 1” long

>>2593795
Too lazy to read your longposts, but you might want to grab one of these >>2593702 for ~$20 or even a $10 or less knockoff version before you almost burn the house down and call an electrician.

>>2593870
I tried to pull them off it was imposisble had to fucking chisel them off with a knife

>>2593873
If anyone even READ MY FUCKING POST I already got one of those you dumb shit

>>2593880
Ok no more help for you.

Call a sparky.

WHAT THE FUCK THE FUCKING STUPID VOLTAGES BURNED UP MY MULTIMETER.

Seriously, where do I go from here?!?!?

>>2593779
You have 4 CAFCI breakers. Those are supposed to prevent arc faults but I'm looking at them right here and can tell it looks like three of them are partially tripped. Shut them off and turn the back on to correct the sockets where those are a problem.

https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/Entries/2018/7/what-is-the-difference-between-a-combination-arc-fault-circuit-interrupter-cafci-and-an-arc-fault-circuit-interrupter-afci-circuit-breaker.html

People have problems with those kind of circuit breakers all the time. Nothing you can do but understand they might trip.

Now as to why your light bulbs burn out post a picture of a "burnt out" bulb so we can see it.

>>2593882
You turned it on ohms because you'l didn't read the manual.

>>2593882
i thought your multimeter was blue

>>2593882
You’re a dumb troll kill your self

I’m op and obviously my device is blue

>>2593890
Yeah it is it’s some fucking loser posing as me cause he has literally nothing better to do with his life

>>2593883
I have no issues with the circuits.

Stop trolling me, you know what a burnt light bulb looks like. Don’t have time for your bs trolling.

>>2593905
>>2593890
Actual OP here. The blue multi meter was just a picture I found on google.

>>2593882
background has a test equipment, definitely not OP. OP's too dumb to use a multimeter, much less test equipment.

>>2593906
>Yeah it is it’s some fucking loser posing as me cause he has literally nothing better to do with his life
so.... OP?

Bump

Why is no one replying?

As I said I measured and one of the outlets was 119V and the other is 120V. What next steps should I take?

I only measured neutral to hot I believe (left and right, did not compare to bottom hole)

For some reason it’s not letting me add a picture cause when I do that my post never appears in the thread

>>2593968
>119V and the other is 120V.
That's fine. But if your stuff is getting hit with voltage spikes, your meter will never catch them.
>What next steps should I take?
You need a power quality analyzer. Which can record events (voltage spikes, etc). Pic related is a cheap Chinese model. About $3000. Good luck. Or you could hire an electrician.

>>2593991
So the electrician would let me borrow that equipment for a week or so?

By the way everything just surged again. It made a weird noise and my lamps suddenly got bright.

>>2593273
the cheapest, chinkiest lead wires you can find, so that way when you short the mains to earth they act as a fuse and protect the meter

>>2594002
Did you go and plug your meter in like I told you?

>>2594002
either call an electrician or call the electrical company that generates it, they usually come out for free.

fucking bloody hell stop making threads and actually do something.

Quick question- is there a way the boogeyman would be causing voltage spikes to occur while he’s gone?

>>2594028
Yeah I did but by the time I got it he already stopped the surge I heard him closing the electrical box downstairs

>>2594036
I called the company they’re useless and told me to call an electrician

I’m not rich. Plus even if I insist for the landlady to hire “someone else” and somehow get her to do it, she’ll just hire a scammer she knows to say everything’s fine. And even if someone”fixes” it he’ll just fuck everything up again.

>>2593622
Just get an electrician to give you an assessment, then go from there. Even if you could find what's wrong you wouldn't be able to fix it.

>>2594141

>>2594186
I’m asking a fucking question to know if I can charge my phone while he’s gone or if the entire unit is unusable

>>2593666
>>2593676
then let him get juiced a few times that's how you learn. judging by that epic wall of text i would say you are a nigger and a faggot

>>2594195
You're on your own, faggot.
Bottom line is if you can't use the tools, better not even try.

>>2594195
Every phone charger I've seen has a universal 100-240V input. If you had an intermittently open neutral, phone charger should be fine. Kickback from large inductive loads would be a risk but a microwave oven doesn't count. Seeing as you've schizoposted this shit before and seeing how you're still phoneposting despite being afraid to charge your phone, this is either all bait or you're legitimately insane. Your bulbs will continue to burn out, your appliances will misbehave, your neighbor will continue to fuck with you, and your walls will talk to you.

>>2594144
Ok... try to understand.

If the landlady won't help (how will it get fixed?).
you don't have money (how will it get fixed?).
you don't have skills (how will it get fixed?).
you can't get access (how will it get fixed?).
electric company won't help (calling bullshit because if there are voltage spike they will help unless third world country)

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT OF ANY OF THIS!

stop posting here, every single suggestion of help you have slapped down. you don't want help you want magic.

you cannot fix electrical problems without these things:
access
knowledge
tools
money

MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE!

>>2594142
>I heard him closing the electrical box
>>2594195
>while he’s gone
Is OP the paranoid schizo that thinks someone is out to get him and blow his stuff up?

>>2594335
Have you ever considered that I have two phones you dumb retard?


>>2594362
>>2594522

You’re a dumb nigger

>>2594536
>You’re a dumb nigger

>>2594536
Phoneposters are not real people. Doubling your ability to phonepost just makes you a doublenigger. Take meds.

>>2594567
Calling someone a dumb n-slur isn't an ad hominem attack unless they are doing it as a fallacious refutation of your argument.
In this case, it is clear that they were simply insulting you.

>>2593614
>And would measuring resistance help and why not?

don't the meter will burn through, resistance can only be measured on not live wires.

except with expensive installation testers.

>>2594787
no when someone has no argument they result to name calling.

so it is indeed an ad hominem attack