Big Voltage drop
Had an instance before when I had a voltage while running on a treadmill. I flipped all the breakers and it seem to work again for a month and now it is back and now when we use a high load appliance like the microwave the voltage drops.
I tested all the breakers by adding a load and it seems it’s on one leg. And I tested the lugs and the voltage did drop with a load. Unfortunately the tested I am using isn’t digital and doesn’t display the actual voltage but the 120 light is completely off under load and only the 24v is light. The 120v light comes back on when the appliance turns off.
Is there a problem in the house on one of the circuits? Or does the drop on the lug indicate a problem before the breaker panel?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Edit: I picked up a digital multimeter and now under normal loads the one leg reads 125-126 and other 115ish. With the microwave on it goes becomes more unbalanced 130v one lug to 110v on the other
Edit2: with the washer a full when agitates(using the motor) voltage dropped to 97v on one leg and the 140v ish on the other. Again coming in from the service line to the main breaker. That seems to be getting too much so I called in with the PoCo reporting a partial outage.
electrical wiring
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
add a comment |
Had an instance before when I had a voltage while running on a treadmill. I flipped all the breakers and it seem to work again for a month and now it is back and now when we use a high load appliance like the microwave the voltage drops.
I tested all the breakers by adding a load and it seems it’s on one leg. And I tested the lugs and the voltage did drop with a load. Unfortunately the tested I am using isn’t digital and doesn’t display the actual voltage but the 120 light is completely off under load and only the 24v is light. The 120v light comes back on when the appliance turns off.
Is there a problem in the house on one of the circuits? Or does the drop on the lug indicate a problem before the breaker panel?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Edit: I picked up a digital multimeter and now under normal loads the one leg reads 125-126 and other 115ish. With the microwave on it goes becomes more unbalanced 130v one lug to 110v on the other
Edit2: with the washer a full when agitates(using the motor) voltage dropped to 97v on one leg and the 140v ish on the other. Again coming in from the service line to the main breaker. That seems to be getting too much so I called in with the PoCo reporting a partial outage.
electrical wiring
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44
add a comment |
Had an instance before when I had a voltage while running on a treadmill. I flipped all the breakers and it seem to work again for a month and now it is back and now when we use a high load appliance like the microwave the voltage drops.
I tested all the breakers by adding a load and it seems it’s on one leg. And I tested the lugs and the voltage did drop with a load. Unfortunately the tested I am using isn’t digital and doesn’t display the actual voltage but the 120 light is completely off under load and only the 24v is light. The 120v light comes back on when the appliance turns off.
Is there a problem in the house on one of the circuits? Or does the drop on the lug indicate a problem before the breaker panel?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Edit: I picked up a digital multimeter and now under normal loads the one leg reads 125-126 and other 115ish. With the microwave on it goes becomes more unbalanced 130v one lug to 110v on the other
Edit2: with the washer a full when agitates(using the motor) voltage dropped to 97v on one leg and the 140v ish on the other. Again coming in from the service line to the main breaker. That seems to be getting too much so I called in with the PoCo reporting a partial outage.
electrical wiring
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
Had an instance before when I had a voltage while running on a treadmill. I flipped all the breakers and it seem to work again for a month and now it is back and now when we use a high load appliance like the microwave the voltage drops.
I tested all the breakers by adding a load and it seems it’s on one leg. And I tested the lugs and the voltage did drop with a load. Unfortunately the tested I am using isn’t digital and doesn’t display the actual voltage but the 120 light is completely off under load and only the 24v is light. The 120v light comes back on when the appliance turns off.
Is there a problem in the house on one of the circuits? Or does the drop on the lug indicate a problem before the breaker panel?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Edit: I picked up a digital multimeter and now under normal loads the one leg reads 125-126 and other 115ish. With the microwave on it goes becomes more unbalanced 130v one lug to 110v on the other
Edit2: with the washer a full when agitates(using the motor) voltage dropped to 97v on one leg and the 140v ish on the other. Again coming in from the service line to the main breaker. That seems to be getting too much so I called in with the PoCo reporting a partial outage.
electrical wiring
electrical wiring
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
edited Jan 20 at 2:54
Mazura
10.3k11246
10.3k11246
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
asked Jan 19 at 17:00
ecco88ecco88
26718
26718
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44
add a comment |
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
I bet I'm in a race with ThreePhaseEel to post this.
Call your power company NOW and report an outage
Specifically, a lost neutral.
My company came out in less than 2 hours on a Saturday. It will be free, and most likely they'll find a problem on pole or service drop. Just the same, helps to have the front off your service panel.
As you know, American houses get 240V power, but appliances are 120V, or half. What keeps the center centered is the neutral.
If you lose neutral, then each leg becomes biddlebooble, but the two legs still add up to 240V pretty much on-the-money. That means when one is under 120V, the other is over by the same amount. And the high leg can switch. This is what makes it an emergency: the significant overvoltage can blow out appliances and start fires.
At this point it seems like a partial failure, but it's likely to become a total failure soon. My power company just fixed one of those, our neutral was flapping in the breeze, but a neighbor's hot was nearly worn through from a bad termination on the pole and years of cable swaying just wearing it down.
Also, total neutral failures will act like partial failures, because they are still able to return some neutral current via earth to the transformer's ground strap.
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
add a comment |
On your main breaker, Are you checking at the connection of the service to the breaker or after the breaker? If after the breaker try turning all loads off and flip the main breaker 10+ times, this can reseat the hammers in the breaker. If measuring prior to the breaker call your utility and tell them you are having a service problem.
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "73"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155291%2fbig-voltage-drop%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I bet I'm in a race with ThreePhaseEel to post this.
Call your power company NOW and report an outage
Specifically, a lost neutral.
My company came out in less than 2 hours on a Saturday. It will be free, and most likely they'll find a problem on pole or service drop. Just the same, helps to have the front off your service panel.
As you know, American houses get 240V power, but appliances are 120V, or half. What keeps the center centered is the neutral.
If you lose neutral, then each leg becomes biddlebooble, but the two legs still add up to 240V pretty much on-the-money. That means when one is under 120V, the other is over by the same amount. And the high leg can switch. This is what makes it an emergency: the significant overvoltage can blow out appliances and start fires.
At this point it seems like a partial failure, but it's likely to become a total failure soon. My power company just fixed one of those, our neutral was flapping in the breeze, but a neighbor's hot was nearly worn through from a bad termination on the pole and years of cable swaying just wearing it down.
Also, total neutral failures will act like partial failures, because they are still able to return some neutral current via earth to the transformer's ground strap.
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
add a comment |
I bet I'm in a race with ThreePhaseEel to post this.
Call your power company NOW and report an outage
Specifically, a lost neutral.
My company came out in less than 2 hours on a Saturday. It will be free, and most likely they'll find a problem on pole or service drop. Just the same, helps to have the front off your service panel.
As you know, American houses get 240V power, but appliances are 120V, or half. What keeps the center centered is the neutral.
If you lose neutral, then each leg becomes biddlebooble, but the two legs still add up to 240V pretty much on-the-money. That means when one is under 120V, the other is over by the same amount. And the high leg can switch. This is what makes it an emergency: the significant overvoltage can blow out appliances and start fires.
At this point it seems like a partial failure, but it's likely to become a total failure soon. My power company just fixed one of those, our neutral was flapping in the breeze, but a neighbor's hot was nearly worn through from a bad termination on the pole and years of cable swaying just wearing it down.
Also, total neutral failures will act like partial failures, because they are still able to return some neutral current via earth to the transformer's ground strap.
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
add a comment |
I bet I'm in a race with ThreePhaseEel to post this.
Call your power company NOW and report an outage
Specifically, a lost neutral.
My company came out in less than 2 hours on a Saturday. It will be free, and most likely they'll find a problem on pole or service drop. Just the same, helps to have the front off your service panel.
As you know, American houses get 240V power, but appliances are 120V, or half. What keeps the center centered is the neutral.
If you lose neutral, then each leg becomes biddlebooble, but the two legs still add up to 240V pretty much on-the-money. That means when one is under 120V, the other is over by the same amount. And the high leg can switch. This is what makes it an emergency: the significant overvoltage can blow out appliances and start fires.
At this point it seems like a partial failure, but it's likely to become a total failure soon. My power company just fixed one of those, our neutral was flapping in the breeze, but a neighbor's hot was nearly worn through from a bad termination on the pole and years of cable swaying just wearing it down.
Also, total neutral failures will act like partial failures, because they are still able to return some neutral current via earth to the transformer's ground strap.
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
I bet I'm in a race with ThreePhaseEel to post this.
Call your power company NOW and report an outage
Specifically, a lost neutral.
My company came out in less than 2 hours on a Saturday. It will be free, and most likely they'll find a problem on pole or service drop. Just the same, helps to have the front off your service panel.
As you know, American houses get 240V power, but appliances are 120V, or half. What keeps the center centered is the neutral.
If you lose neutral, then each leg becomes biddlebooble, but the two legs still add up to 240V pretty much on-the-money. That means when one is under 120V, the other is over by the same amount. And the high leg can switch. This is what makes it an emergency: the significant overvoltage can blow out appliances and start fires.
At this point it seems like a partial failure, but it's likely to become a total failure soon. My power company just fixed one of those, our neutral was flapping in the breeze, but a neighbor's hot was nearly worn through from a bad termination on the pole and years of cable swaying just wearing it down.
Also, total neutral failures will act like partial failures, because they are still able to return some neutral current via earth to the transformer's ground strap.
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
answered Jan 19 at 20:21
HarperHarper
69.3k345140
69.3k345140
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
add a comment |
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
1
1
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
Thanks Harper. I went and got a digital meter to get actual readings . Are my actual readings delta (125-115) large enough to call the PoCo?- Should I call the poco and say I think there is a lose neutral? My meter is inside but maybe it is even before the meter - maybe on the drip loop outside?
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:46
2
2
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
If you can load it up with additional loads, and the center point moves more but the endpoints don't sag, that's a lost neutral. The drip loop is a likely candidate, the poletop is even more likely.
– Harper
Jan 19 at 20:57
add a comment |
On your main breaker, Are you checking at the connection of the service to the breaker or after the breaker? If after the breaker try turning all loads off and flip the main breaker 10+ times, this can reseat the hammers in the breaker. If measuring prior to the breaker call your utility and tell them you are having a service problem.
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
add a comment |
On your main breaker, Are you checking at the connection of the service to the breaker or after the breaker? If after the breaker try turning all loads off and flip the main breaker 10+ times, this can reseat the hammers in the breaker. If measuring prior to the breaker call your utility and tell them you are having a service problem.
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
add a comment |
On your main breaker, Are you checking at the connection of the service to the breaker or after the breaker? If after the breaker try turning all loads off and flip the main breaker 10+ times, this can reseat the hammers in the breaker. If measuring prior to the breaker call your utility and tell them you are having a service problem.
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
On your main breaker, Are you checking at the connection of the service to the breaker or after the breaker? If after the breaker try turning all loads off and flip the main breaker 10+ times, this can reseat the hammers in the breaker. If measuring prior to the breaker call your utility and tell them you are having a service problem.
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
answered Jan 19 at 19:46
Ed BealEd Beal
32.3k12145
32.3k12145
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
add a comment |
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
1
1
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
Tested on the lugs so before the main breaker.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:25
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155291%2fbig-voltage-drop%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Can you get a better tester that displays the actual voltage?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 17:04
Getting one now
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 17:18
If you keep turning off loads/circuits, do the legs start to balance each other out?
– ThreePhaseEel
Jan 19 at 19:41
Actually turning off the breakers results in little or no change. One leg is 125-126 other now is 116-117. I literally had every breaker on the one leg turned off. Should I rearrange the breakers to see if it changes? Is it an issue on one of the branches that is causing the problem. Seems more like a service line issue.
– ecco88
Jan 19 at 20:44