Posted: 1/2/2017 11:05:10 PM EDT
| Hey guys, having some some weird power problems at my house tonight. It started when I noticed the lights were flickering a bit, so I got out my volt meter and tested the breaker. Half of my circuts were reading 160 volts, and the other half were reading 80. Shut off the main and they balanced back out to 240, so I figured it was probably an open neutral comming to the panel. I unplugged everything and now im having some other weird issues. Both hots (3 wire 240v service) are only showing about 60 volts per leg. I tested ground to neutral and didnt see any voltage. Anyone ever have issues like this before? Power company is comming but im curious what is going on. Hoping it's something wrong with the transformer or entrance cables to the meter and not something on my end |
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Or Zinsco? They both suck... Quoted:
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Do you have an FPE breaker panel? Probably a conn at the wh or pole. If underground probably bad drops. Or Zinsco? They both suck... No, thank God! This is a newer Square D 150 amp panel Quoted:
"Shut the main off And have 240" I assume you are referring to the line side before the main? At the lugs in the panel before the main breaker. |
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Sounds like a bad neutral, but don't rule out a bad transformer. Your neutral should be grounded at your panel which means it should read 120 volts to ground even if your neutral leg dropped. Not real true. A ground rod won't carry the load. Especially one that's been in the ground a while, and if it had been working like that with no neutral and depending on the ground rod only, it will bake out in a short time. |
I had a similar problem once.  Some of my outlets were only working when the dryer was on and I was like WTF!?!  The "dead circuits were only reading like 40v and power was backfeeding through the dead circuits when the dryer was switched on . I isolated the problem to a bad hot line coming from the transformer after checking the neighbor's box in addition to my own.  Called the power company and it took them less than an hour to fix, but a day to show up.
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Not real true. A ground rod won't carry the load. Especially one that's been in the ground a while, and if it had been working like that with no neutral and depending on the ground rod only, it will bake out in a short time. 
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| Forgot to mention the poco installed a new smart meter a few months ago. I didn't notice any issues until now but is it possible the didn't do something correctly in the meter? I thought it was just as simple as popping the old one out and putting the new one in but I'm not sure |
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Floating neutral. There is likely a lack of continuity (i.e., bad connection) somewhere between the center tap of the transformer and the neutral bar in your panel.
Without a good connection to the center tap of the transformer to keep the voltage 120 on each leg, they vary (float) with respect to the neutral based on load. They will still be a rock solid 240 across each other if the problem lies with the neutral connection only. Perhaps the issue is at the meter connection of the neutral spade if that was swapped recently, but more often, the problem is on the pole. |
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Not real true. A ground rod won't carry the load. Especially one that's been in the ground a while, and if it had been working like that with no neutral and depending on the ground rod only, it will bake out in a short time. Quoted:
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Sounds like a bad neutral, but don't rule out a bad transformer. Your neutral should be grounded at your panel which means it should read 120 volts to ground even if your neutral leg dropped. Not real true. A ground rod won't carry the load. Especially one that's been in the ground a while, and if it had been working like that with no neutral and depending on the ground rod only, it will bake out in a short time. A load-side bonding jumper is typically not brought to the house from the transformer. The grounding electrode at a house (most commonly a rod and/ufer) establishes a connection to the earth but isn't designed nor does it physically connect the panel to the system. Any ground-fault current is taken to the neutral in the main panel via the main bonding jumper. The earth is NOT a ground-fault current path and is not used to establish a path from the main panel to the system neutral. |
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Forgot to mention the poco installed a new smart meter a few months ago. I didn't notice any issues until now but is it possible the didn't do something correctly in the meter? I thought it was just as simple as popping the old one out and putting the new one in but I'm not sure I wouldn't think that would be a cause unless they loosened a neutral in the meter can/base. Replacing a meter is pull out the old and plug in a new one. |
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Sounds like a bad neutral. Get it fixed asap, stuff will blow, I've had this happen in my apartment. Came home after being gone for a week and walked into the place smelling like a fried electronic cabinet. My UPS, AV system, printer, router, PC and pretty much everything electronic plugged in was fried. I took the UPS apart and thought it was a lightning strike, it was that bad. Then I got a new UPS that also had a USB connection to data log on my pc, that's when I found my power going all over the place, anywhere from 60 to 500vac. At the same time I noticed my power going all over I noticed my tv picture going screwy, went to check the coaxial cable connection at the wall and when I touched it thought I had grabbed the end of a cigarette, it was that hot. Called the maintenance guys and went out to inspect my meter, the neutral was loose.
I'd unplug everything that you don't need and call the power company to have them check for you. |
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OP, look at the nipple between the meter can/base and the breaker panel, is it glowing ? Are there tiny sparks if you rub a screwdriver against the nipple or nut and the breaker panel or meter can?
Also, underground or overhead service? ETA. this assumes you still have load on the service. However you should probably turn off the main, using a stick or rubber gloves to open the panel. |
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I wouldn't think that would be a cause unless they loosened a neutral in the meter can/base. Replacing a meter is pull out the old and plug in a new one. Not only that, the neutral conductor in the meter base is a straight through path. IOW, it's there with or without the meter. |
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Not only that, the neutral conductor in the meter base is a straight through path. IOW, it's there with or without the meter. Mostly true. I have seen where the line side neutral and the load side neutral going into the breaker box is split/cutand only electrically continuous by means of the lug, which is usually a double lug. |
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Buddy of mine called with similar problem, turned out to be the connections to the mast on the incoming power lines. Problem was one leg of power had a lousy connection outside We had the connection from the power company replaced outside at the fishing camp for this same reason. |
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Sounds like a bad neutral. Get it fixed asap, stuff will blow, I've had this happen in my apartment. Came home after being gone for a week and walked into the place smelling like a fried electronic cabinet. My UPS, AV system, printer, router, PC and pretty much everything electronic plugged in was fried. I took the UPS apart and thought it was a lightning strike, it was that bad. Then I got a new UPS that also had a USB connection to data log on my pc, that's when I found my power going all over the place, anywhere from 60 to 500vac. At the same time I noticed my power going all over I noticed my tv picture going screwy, went to check the coaxial cable connection at the wall and when I touched it thought I had grabbed the end of a cigarette, it was that hot. Called the maintenance guys and went out to inspect my meter, the neutral was loose. I'd unplug everything that you don't need and call the power company to have them check for you. Same here! Was in college, came home from class and the smell of ozone was thick. Pretty much cooked every electrical device plugged in except for one tv. The surge protectors got melted in the closed position and offered no help. Landlord just shrugged his shoulders and asked if I had renter's insurance. |
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Update- power company is out at my house now. We shut off the main breaker, unplugged everything and left last night to stay at my parents. Went out and checked on the house this morning and it was still standing. I also walked the line from the meter to the transformer and didn't see any obvious breakages, however the bare neutral line looked chalky so there's a chance corrosion has taken its toll on it. Now I'm just waiting to hear what they say.
ETA- According to the pocos website the crew has been there for 4 hours. Betting there is something wrong with the line or transformer |
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Hard to tell from the ground level sometimes how bad a shape a triplex service can be . If there are any squirrels in the area those little bastards will chew the hell out em up on the topside . Have you had wet weather just recently?
Reason I ask is ,sometimes a jacked up service wire will seem to be working just like normal until it reaches its failure point and a good rain can help it breakdown . Can't imagine why it's taking them 4 fukking hours to sort it out though . Interested to hear the outcome . |
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Test phase to phase, then each phase to neutral. "Smart" meters give REALLY strange results on the output, at times. I've dealt with bad smart meters that the utility swore were showing Ok remotely, but had a leg down on the output. That could be 208 and 120. It could be 240, 120, 120 and 208. It could be 480 and 277 
Just being a smart ass since he has single phase 
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