When I read vacuum cleaner and lights in the same breath, I start to worry.
It's the sort of thing my mother did in the 50s, when power sockets were in short supply.
I don't know anything about US practice, but in the UK, lighting and power circuits are separate and each ring or radial circuit has its' own MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) - power is typically 32-Amps at 240-V AC and lighting is typically 6-Amps.
You could run a vacuum cleaner on a 6-Amp circuit, but it would be bad practice. Until recently, lighting circuits were not on the RCD (Residual Current Device, Earth Leakage Device) part of the consumer unit. Lighting outlets don't always have a ground terminal and the light fitting might be wired with 2-core cable.
Power circuits with the exception of heavy load items like instant shower heaters, cooker, immersion heaters, are wired as a ring circuit, so losing one outlet does not affect the others. Lighting circuits are wired as radial circuits from outlet to outlet, sio one bad outlet takes out everything upstream.
I think you need to get the whole lot checked out for wiring compliance and other hidden faults. It's particulaly important if your power comes in on overhead lines and the utility does not provide the earth/ground.
Loose cables in terminal blocks can easily overheat especially if overloaded. In my experience, even well installed wiring can suffer from screw blocks loosening up.
It's the sort of thing my mother did in the 50s, when power sockets were in short supply.
I don't know anything about US practice, but in the UK, lighting and power circuits are separate and each ring or radial circuit has its' own MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) - power is typically 32-Amps at 240-V AC and lighting is typically 6-Amps.
You could run a vacuum cleaner on a 6-Amp circuit, but it would be bad practice. Until recently, lighting circuits were not on the RCD (Residual Current Device, Earth Leakage Device) part of the consumer unit. Lighting outlets don't always have a ground terminal and the light fitting might be wired with 2-core cable.
Power circuits with the exception of heavy load items like instant shower heaters, cooker, immersion heaters, are wired as a ring circuit, so losing one outlet does not affect the others. Lighting circuits are wired as radial circuits from outlet to outlet, sio one bad outlet takes out everything upstream.
I think you need to get the whole lot checked out for wiring compliance and other hidden faults. It's particulaly important if your power comes in on overhead lines and the utility does not provide the earth/ground.
Loose cables in terminal blocks can easily overheat especially if overloaded. In my experience, even well installed wiring can suffer from screw blocks loosening up.