Do we have an electrical problem in our mobile home?
Manufactured Homes March 8th, 2010We bought our mobile home from an idiot (I call him that for many other reasons). It had been vandelized, including electric box, etc. He "fixed" it, but we have problems. Some light fixtures just don’t work. Others seem to burn lightbulbs out more frequently. ie I’ve changed the outside back porch lightbulb 10 times for every 1 time I’ve changed the laundry room bulb. I turn the outside light on once per day, but the laundry room light gets turned on 10 to 20 times per day. And the back porch light burns out more often than the front porch even though the back is used less often and for fewer hours.
Does this indicate a problem, and what? Is it a fire hazard?
March 8th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
First, If it’s a fairly old MH, it might have aluminum wiring. That has caused quite a few fires due to poor connection stability and other aspects of the aluminum conductor.
The non-working fixtures are suspect and the connections should be checked.
The excessive burnout rate on certain lights could be caused by a poor neutral or ground connection if you have two-phase service or "220 volt" connection (where there are two 110 volt lines coming into the breaker box instead of just one). If the previous owner mis-wired things, this could be what’s going on.
Beyond that, incandescent lightbulbs sometimes burn out prematurely if there is a motor or other high-current device that uses a motor or a transformer (ex: a welder). Those sometimes cause electrical surges or "voltage spikes" on the home’s wiring, and enough of those could cause burnout.
Another cause of premature burnout could be vibration – do peole slam the door near the bulb that keeps "burning out"? It might just be giving it up due to the filament breaking when the door is closed. Maybe put in a door-closer dampener, or a sign reminding people to not slam the door? You can also sometimes find ruggedized bulbs that are typically used in mechanic’s trouble-lights that are more resistant to shock damage.
March 8th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
The fixtures that do not work could be loose or bad connections. The lights that burn out quickly could be the neutral wire back feeding energy or moisture leaking into the fixture. Any electrical short can cause a fire. A licensed electrician should take a look.
March 8th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Yep, something’s wrong. This could be dangerous, you’d better call an electrician.
March 8th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
You need to have this checked out by a licensed, qualified (meaning he’s familiar w/mobile home wiring), electrician. Any electrical problem should be considered a fire hazard and especially in a mobile home. Have someone look at it ASAP.