Voltage drop

[Handy Al]

We've experincing voltage drop on some of our lights and outlets since after a heavy rain last week. I need some advice on who to call.

I check the feed going into the distribution panel. One side was 143 volts and the other 98 volts. Should I called th power company or the an electrician?

[Uncle Cracker]

That ain't good, Al. Start with the power company, and then the electrician.

[LCHIEN]

The total is 240V which is what its supposed to be but the balance is obviously incorrect (should be 120V on each side plus or minus maybe 5 volts). Call the electric power company. Could be a transformer problem.

[Crash2510]

agreed call the power company its probably their problem

if you wanted to make sure absolutely it wasn't you
shut off the main breaker and test the lugs coming in if the voltage is still off its the power companies problem

[TheRic]

The total is 240V which is what its supposed to be but the balance is obviously incorrect (should be 120V on each side plus or minus maybe 5 volts). Call the electric power company. Could be a transformer problem.

Actually you might NOT have 220/240V coming in. Check across the two lines to see if you have 220/240V. You will notice things that are 220/240V not working, Electric Range, Electric Baseboard / Furnace heat, etc.

Have seen where the Transformer went out, it gave a false 110V (actually the two lines were a little off) on each line, but there was no 220/240V. Everything in the house was running a little dimmer, but most things worked.

If you have 220/240V or not, either way it's the power company problem. You should have 110/120V on each leg.

IF you really want to make sure you can kill the main power then test the voltages. If it stays messed up then it is the line coming in (Power Company), if it's it fine with the main power off, and gets messed up when you turn the main power on it's something in the house (electrician), but I doubt this.

[Tom Slick]

That is a bad neutral in the feed. you need to call your power comany.

a little electrician trouble shooting therory:
notice that you are above and below 120 the same amount, that is a dead give away for a bad neutral somewhere between the pole and the panel. one 120 leg is back feeding the other because it can't return all of its voltage though the bad neutral connection. the 98 leg is backfeeding its "lost" 22 volts into the other leg, "giving" it a 22 volt boost. This happens because they are opposite phases.

[Hellrazor]

Call the electric company to verify everything to the meter. I would bet it is on their end and it is a neutral problem. Are any other houses on the same side of the transformer you are on? Ask a neighbor if they are having issues too.

[Tom Slick]

by the way, running electronics on 98 volts will destroy them. running light bulbs on 143 will make them have a really short life.

[rnelson0]

by the way, running electronics on 98 volts will destroy them. running light bulbs on 143 will make them have a really short life.

For this very reason, sometimes I am tempted to get a whole-house backup solution. Then I start pricing it out.

Then I cry.

Until then, I hook everything I can financial afford to up to a UPS with at least basic line conditioner on it to help with basic brownouts and overages. Definitely makes me feel better about $1k PCs and such.

[LCHIEN]

by the way, running electronics on 98 volts will destroy them. running light bulbs on 143 will make them have a really short life.

that's right, you will have some expensive problems if you (keep) using it like that!.

[billwmeyer]

I had a similar problem after an ice storm about 10 years ago. My power line coming into the house was on the ground. When the power came on to the town, I had low voltage and high voltage like you said. My outdoor Christmas lights were like beacons. My ceiling fan was on Steroids. Some of my lights were like candles. We were running around shutting everything off and I disconected the mains. Almost everything I had on in those short minutes with a transformer shorted out. I lost my Makita battery charger, and my daughter lost her stereo.

So in other words, don't waste time on this. Get the power company out there before it costs you.

Bill

[Handy Al]

Votage Drop Update

Power company came out today and found a bad neutral in the drop coming from transformer to the house. They're got a temporary copper line running on the ground until they can get a work order to bury a new drop.

[Alex Franke]

I'd be interested in knowing how you even came to discover the problem. What are the symptoms? Does stuff just stop working correctly?

[Handy Al]

Alex - When lights start dimming whenever a motor starts up and/or motors are having trouble getting up to speed, it's pretty obvious there a problem. I started check outlets with a meter. FInally pulled the cover off the electrical panel (something I'm comfortable with, don't if you're not). Checked the each feed coming into the panel to ground.

I was worried at first as a couple of weeks I did re-wiring on the bath remodel. But those circuits test good.

[Tom Slick]

it will go off balance when a load is applied. The last one I diagnosed would make the lights in the kitchen really bright when the microwave was in use. when the water heater was in use the lights would dim. the microwave and water heater were on different phases (legs).