chrisprickett Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Found it inside the panel of a one year old home. It is the size of a 35mm film cannister, and has a hot and neutral wire, but no ground. It has absolutely no markings on it. I thought it might be some kind of remote relay, but the owner has no clue. Anybody? Download Attachment: whatizit.jpg 157.36 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian G Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 It could be a lightening arrestor Chris, but most of the ones I've seen mount through a knock-out and are somewhat bigger than that. No way to be sure without any markings. Brian G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 It is a sump pump float Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 I can't see if the breaker it's going to is double tapped, but if it is, I vote for radio frequency interference capacitor. The clincher would be if the circuit supplied either dedicated equipment like a computer, or for the entertainment system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisprickett Posted March 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Chad, It's double tapped to the bathroom gfci. The thing that confuses me, is that the homeowner (this is a one year warranty inspection) has no idea what it is! It's a shame Hanson jumped ship, he probably knows what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Chris (not Terry) That makes sense,it would prevent the bathroom gfci from nuisance tripping when they turned of their electric tooth brush or hair clippers or some other "vibrator motor". A capacitor in line would act like a shock absorber (double entendre intended)and for a brief millisecond or two would discharge to the low side of the amperage differential preventing a "trip" at the gfci. A low microfarad (in fact probably a nanofarad or a picofarad value)capacitor probably would add a millisecond or two to the trip and not significantly increase the shock exposure. I reserve the right to be full of crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a46geo Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Chad, How would this work? In HVAC, a capacitor has two leads (sort of in and out but not really) and is used to either "kick" start a motor as with a start capacitor or throw it out of phase as with a run capacitor. When the capacitor discharges wouldn't that defeat its purpose of protecting a GFCI? George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 I just read a bunch of stuff. I'm pretty sure that it's a capacitor, but I'm reverting to the original theory of RFI protection "noise reduction". In AC cirucits current flow through a capacitor oscillates from hot to neutral. The same amount of current goes out that came in but it's now 90 degrees out of phase. It's the phase change that makes em so handy running motors. The fact that it's been installed on the GFCI circuit may have to do with flourescent lighting in the bathroom and the capacitor could equalize the circuit when the ballast field collapses. It may also be pure coincedence that it's on that breaker. Hell I don't know. Where's Douglas? Where's Cramer? Good God where will this all end? Chris (not Terry)...go back and see if there's a uF rating on that thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence McCann Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Hi Chad! Umm... I didn't post to any of this (except for now that is). I was going to but I buy into a choke or cap of some kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisprickett Posted March 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Ok, I'm REALlY scared now! How would it get there if the only owner of the home doesn't know what it is? I'm thinking aliens or Al Queda... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Shhh, Don't you know the government has black ops teams wiring these brain reading monitors into the net in every home in the U.S.? If you don't want them reading your thoughts, make sure you are sleeping with aluminum foil on your head and get a barium enema twice a month. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a46geo Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 If anyone is interested, I have an extra aluminum helmet. If that embarrasses you, you can do like I do when my wife hides my helmets, use a 5 quart sauce pan. It seems to work pretty well. In fact I am wearing one right now. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Ryon Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 You guys are taking this to the extreme. Aluminum foil on your windows is all you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Uh, Uh, The foil does not work at all without the enemas. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gafferps Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Guys it looks like a noise suppression unit for a circuit that might have had a Ham-radio on it. Hard to see if there is another wire on the same breaker or not. Same type of thing is used on autos to quite ignition noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 I like gafferps answer because it agreed w/mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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