# Power failure-it's back on, but inconsistent-any reason why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** tools-electric-diy\ **Created:** [July 14, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671 "2026-07-14T22:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/1 "2026-07-14T22:47:59Z")
It was out for 45 min., came back 20 min. ago. However, my lights tend to alternate between being dim and at full brightness, and my fans likewise tend to run slow. And it just went back into low power mode again just now. I don’t dare turn my PC back on until I’m sure the current is back to steady and normal for good. Any clue from the electrical people out there? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/2 "2026-07-15T00:28:39Z")
Sounds like you’re in a brown-out situation. Probably running low voltage. Very bad for a lot of electronics. Do you know how to check voltage at an outlet. When the fans are running slow, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re below 100v. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/3 "2026-07-15T00:49:51Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sounds like you’re in a brown-out situation. I agree, and if so, it’s probably not an issue local to just @John_DiFool 's house, but the entire local grid. It’s not quite as hot in the Cleveland area (where John is located, I believe) as it is further west and northwest, but with high heat and high humidity, power utilities are often stretched to the limit on their ability to meet demand, especially in the afternoon and early evening when both residential and commercial customers are heavily using electricity. > [@](#): > > A brownout is caused by high electricity demand that is near or above a utility’s production capacity. When this occurs, the utility may reduce the flow of electricity to certain areas to prevent a blackout. > [@](#): > > When demand nears or exceeds the utility’s maximum production capacity, the utility may intentionally throttle the flow of electricity in certain areas. These intentional brownouts may last from a few minutes to several hours—until demand likely decreases and the utility can restore full power. While less common than severe weather events, brownouts can also occur spontaneously due to damage or malfunctions in the grid or nearby plants. > **[Brownout vs. Blackout - Upshur Rural Electrical Cooperative](https://urecc.coop/brownout-vs-blackout/)** > > Demand for power can become greater than the amount being generated—such as during extreme low temperatures in the winter, a heatwave in the summer, or equipment failure at generation plants. The system can become overloaded by high usage, and... ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/4 "2026-07-15T12:41:15Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sounds like you’re in a brown-out situation. Yep. And brownouts are worse than blackouts, on electrical equipment. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/5 "2026-07-15T12:50:41Z")
Confirm whether or not it’s just you having the issue. At a place I used to live, I was having a problem where half the electrical in my house would flicker on and off, and my electric stove and anything else running 220 volts would intermittently fail. I thought it was some sort of brownout situation at first, but it turned out that, of twin 110 voltage lines I had running to my house, one had a loose connection, like hanging by a thread, and the slightest breeze caused the electricity on that one line to go in and out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-failure-its-back-on-but-inconsistent-any-reason-why/1031671/6 "2026-07-15T13:13:43Z")
The communal workout room is where I noticed it first in point of fact (decided to do a workout), fan came back on, but at low ebb. r/ohio also reported them all over the place last night. It finally got back to normal around 8:30 pm.