Have dial tome and can make outgoing calls but not receiving incoming calls

[debodun]

I have been having an intermittent problem the last two weeks with the above stated situation with my land line phones. When people try to call me, they hear it ring once or twice, then hear a fast busy signal, or they hear a busy signal right away, or it ringsonce followed by a crackling noise. I called Verizon and a technician was dispatched earlier this week. He checked the wiring on the outside of the house (was surprised to see I do not have a NID box) but he said the external wiring was not the problem. He did not check inside, even though I pay for internal line maintenence because he tried my number and it rang and he heard my answering machine. I do not know how old the wiring is, but it has to be at least 40-45 years old. The line comes from the pole and attaches to a corner of the house, then drops down to where it goes through a hold in the cellar wall. I traced the cable inside through the cellar where it is attached to the house sub-floor here and there with metal staples. Finally it turns up and goes through a hole in the sub-floor into the kitchen. Several years ago, I converted three of the four phones in the house to touch tone and installed the adapters myself. It has been working fine up until a few weeks ago. Another technician is coming tomorrow. What should I make sure have checked and/or repaired? What could be causing this problem?

[mrsn2002]

We are having the exact same problem.  It just started a few days ago, but haven't had anyone come out yet to look at it, I thought I'd try here first 🙂

Keep me updated on what the cause is - please?

[Telcoguru]

It sounds like you have a short circuit. The line normally has -48v of DC current. When someone calls you get 90v of AC current which trips the line when you have a short circuit usually causing the phone to ring 1 time followed by dead air or crackling.

[debodun]

Where in the line would the short typically occur?

[Telcoguru]

A short circuit could occur anywhere but usually it occurs in the house. Go to your NID and plug a working phone into the test port and call into the line. If it doesn't pre-trip then the trouble is in the house. If it does pre-trip then call Verizon repair.

[debodun]

Like I mentioned in the original message - I do not have a NID box.

[Telcoguru]

Sorry, I didn't see that. I need glasses. If you don't have a NID go around to every jack in the house with a flashlight and make sure that you can see the gold pins clearly inside the jack. If it is greenish blue or black you've found your trouble.

[debodun]

Why don't the service techs ever show up when they say they will come? The previous appointment I had was scheduled for last Monday between 8AM amd 5 PM. I waited home all day but no one ever showed up. I was just coming home from work on Tuesday when I saw the Verizon truck outside. I was never notified that they had changed the appointment. I had another appointment scheduled today between 8 AM and noon. Again, no one showed up. Are they having so many problems that the techs can't come when originally scheduled? This is getting ridiculous. My problem is going on three weeks now! Can I request a refund on my bill since I am not receiving full service?

[Telcoguru]

If the trouble is Verizon's you can request a refund for the period the service was out for. As far as not showing up for appointments in the area that I live in most of the techs are now in Fios. There a very few left in Core to do copper work.

[debodun]

I think I found the problem. As Telcoguru suggested, I got on my hands and knees and inspected the two wall jacks that could be causing the problem. The first was nice and shiny. However, the center screw on the one behind the couch was rusty. I mamaged to unscrew the crumbling fixture. When I removed the pin from the jack, the contacts on the wall jack were black in  the center surrounded by greenish crud. I removed the wall jack and just screwed the original wiring back in place. I did get 3 incoming calls after that, so that apparently was the problem. I will just have to replace the wall jack which is fairly easy to do even for a midle-aged woman (green to green and red to red). LOL. To the other poster that was having teh same problem - if you have pets and they "accidently" relieve themselves near or on the wall jack that's near the floor, the ammonia will eventually corrode the copper contacts in the jack. If you don't have pets, check the wall jacks anyway. Thanks, Telcoguru, for your suggestion. Verizon had me jumping through hoops, waiting for no-show techs and telling me to test the line at the NID when I didn't have any. Thankfully I was able to cancel the service call that was scheduled for tomorrow. I won't have to miss another day's work.