Coincidence? Continuity?

Nicky1 · Jul 1, 2021

Hello,
Back in November I had a dedicated circuit installed for a garage door opener. Over the next few days and ever since I noticed my dryer would sometimes be blinking "PF" (power fail). The breaker was never tripped and by the time I'd notice the error code on the dryer, everything would be working again. The day the dedicated circuit was installed, the electrician asked why the circuit that runs the dryer was OFF (this is odd because I have never seen the breaker tripped but somehow it was when he started working in the electrical box). I explained that it wasn't off...it runs the washer, dryer, a garage refrigerator and a light. I showed him the ice cream in the freezer to prove it.
Now..I am having intermittent power loss on that 1 circuit. It's in the garage and the only thing running on it continuously is the refrigerator.
I called him back out and he changed out the outlet for me but it hasn't made a difference.
Sometimes it stops working and I turn the breaker off and wait either a few hours or a day and then its fine again.
Could he have accidentally done something?
Could it be a continuity issue with the main line of the electric company?
Any advice would be appreciated. I already paid for the dedicated circuit and a trouble call. I really can't afford to keep calling him back.

HappyHippyDad · Jul 1, 2021

If that circuit is tripping then there is a fault somewhere. It needs testing first to track down the fault, then you replace the faulty item/cable. I am unsure why he changed the socket, perhaps he tested first though and found an issue.
One thing you could do is plug the fridge into another circuit for a few days (extension lead). If it is the fridge at fault then the new circuit will trip, if not then the old circuit will trip. You could try this with various items. This may save you another call out.

Nicky1 · Jul 1, 2021

HappyHippyDad said:
If that circuit is tripping then there is a fault somewhere. It needs testing first to track down the fault, then you replace the faulty item/cable. I am unsure why he changed the socket, perhaps he tested first though and found an issue.
One thing you could do is plug the fridge into another circuit for a few days (extension lead). If it is the fridge at fault then the new circuit will trip, if not then the old circuit will trip. You could try this with various items. This may save you another call out.

He tested the outlet and said it was bad. He also blamed the power strip plugged into it.
I ----ed the power strip and agreed to the outlet change. Meanwhile, I've plugged the fridge into the new dedicated unit with the garage opener temporarily. No problems there. The fridge is the only thing that runs continuously on the bad circuit so there's nothing left to switch around.
Over the past 2 weeks the electrical company has come out to do overhead line work. When they left the circuit worked again but I haven't tested it thoroughly yet. That's why I'm wondering if that could be connected in any way.

brianmoooore · Jul 1, 2021

If I'm reading the OP correctly, the problem isn't a tripping RCD, RCBO or MCB, but just a short interruption in power to a circuit that goes unnoticed, initially at least, by everyone and everything except the drier.
New circuit in CU with new MCB? Wonder if the CU is the type that you have to remove the busbar to fit an extra deice, and the MCB for the faulty circuit has been put back with the clamp missing the busbar?