Flickering lights and sparks from Circuit Breaker

[tmack]

Hello,

Our basement was partially finished a couple of years ago. Recently our lights in this new room have started to flicker. I took a look at the circuit box and one of the white wires going to the bus bar is a little burned and the screw holding in that wire to the bus bar is sparking! Could it be that the neutral wire in the bus bar is just loose or is this most likely a different problem?

Please let me know what you think. I would hate to call in an electrician to simply tighten a screw.

Thanks!

[kactuskid]

Open up your main breaker before messing around in your panel, gotta be safe. Is the loose neutral wire that's burnt go to the same circuit as the basement lights that are flickering. If it does then that's probably your problem. Though it needs to be fixed no matter what circuit it goes to. Follow where this wire comes into the panel at, there will be a black wire that comes into the panel with it. The black wire will go to the breaker.

With the main breaker open, loosen the screw on the buss bar, remove the neutral wire. Cut off the burned area and strip the insulation back 3/4". Now insert the wire in the buss bar hole (only one wire per hole) and tighten up the screw.

[tmack]

The white wire definately matches the black wire going to the breaker for the basement lights. The sparks also occur at the same time as the lights dim.

I'll shut off the main breaker and try this. Thanks!