Is it a mouse that dims the lights?

[W. eWatson]

We've had mice in the area below the house from time to time that have
been heard in the walls somewhat frequently. Several months ago we had a
lot of land cleared around the house, and the mice seem to have
disappeared. They had too much cover to hide in. I did see one about 30'
from the house yesterday. Possibly a mole.

Anyway, my wife thinks they may have chomped on some electrical wires in
the walls. She says some lights have dimmed on occasion for a very short
period. I have my doubts, but how would one test for some damage? There
probably is no easy way, so I think we need to wait for better evidence.
Comments?

 

[Randy Day]

Anyway, my wife thinks they may have chomped on some electrical wires in
the walls. She says some lights have dimmed on occasion for a very short
period. I have my doubts, but how would one test for some damage? There
probably is no easy way, so I think we need to wait for better evidence.
Comments?

Does the dimming occur when a particular
light switch is turned on, or when a
particular appliance kicks in? Talk to an
electrician about whether the wire used in
your house is mouse-resistant or not.

Any short that is substantial enough to dim
lights should trip a breaker, but if you're
still unsure, find a local contractor/
electrician who has a thermal imager to
check the walls for hot spots.

While he's at it, maybe he can find cold
spots where you need to add insulation!

 

[Winston]

We've had mice in the area below the house from time to time that have
been heard in the walls somewhat frequently.
(...)

Anyway, my wife thinks they may have chomped on some electrical wires in
the walls. She says some lights have dimmed on occasion for a very short
period. I have my doubts, but how would one test for some damage? There
probably is no easy way, so I think we need to wait for better evidence.
Comments?

A mouse can be a red herring, in this case.

Turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse powering
the circuit in question and:

For regular base light bulbs, unscrew each of them and polish
the gunge off of the lightbulb base using a pencil eraser
or fine abrasive cloth. Rub off the debris with a cotton cloth.
(I use a little naphtha or alcohol on the cloth to trap gunge.)
"Shiny" is your friend.

(Clearly I mean the bulb per se and not the fixture here!)

Please check your switched wall outlets.
Those that you find installed using the 'stab' method will
need to be removed and re-wired using the screws on the
side of the outlet. Damaged outlets are to be replaced, not
re-used.

http://tiny.cc/76y60
or:
http://www.rd.com/images/tfhimport/2004/20041101_Dead_Outlet_page005img001_size2.jpg


Please check your light switches. They can wear out and
cause dimming. Same is true for the circuit breaker
that powers them.

--Winston