buss bar problem?

[mrpowderkeg]

So the gf and I go to her brother's place, a typical early 20s guy, with renting from his roommate in a trailer house. They cannot turn on their AC, their dryer doesn't work right, and stove won't work. Plus many of their outlets are dead... Here is the kicker, but if they turn the furnace blower fan switch on (I suppose an old coleman type mobile home furnace) he will have power to the dead outlets.

After some thought, is it possible, the line from the electical meter is bad, not energizing one buss bar, but the other line is fine. In this type of situation will some outlets work and some not work? Would turning the furnace blower motor on, somehow energize the other buss bar through the furnace switch or blower motor? I thought of this after thinking about the AC, the stove and the electric dryer not working right or at all... they draw from both buss bars.

So If I take a multimeter over, take the cover off the breaker box, how would I test each buss bar to make sure each has power?

 

[Falcon67]

Put the meter on the AC scale, the find the neutral and test between the neutral and each buss bar. Check for a real ground too and test from that to the buss'.

 

[rlitman]

Are some lights brighter than expected? Sounds like a loose phase, or a loose neutral.
Call the power company. They take these things seriously.

 

[nanofrog]

Sounds like a loose phase, or a loose neutral.
Call the power company. They take these things seriously.

I ran into this not too long ago. Turned out squirrels had chewed through the neutral on the drop line.

 

[Gary S]

My Son had a similar problem two years ago. He called the power company. They feed him with aluminum wire, and one of their incoming wires had loosened up ahead of his meter. They tightened it and it works...easy fix.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Another vote for a loose connection somewhere, same thing happened at my house some years ago. It could be out at the power pole, it could be at the meter, it could be on the incoming lugs in the panel; in my case it was out at the pole. Call the power company and have them check connections.

 

[Aceman]

I agree with Stuart.

Call the power co. first, they'll come out for free. If it's not on their end, then call an electrician.

 

[RECox286]

We get corrosion in the crimps at the goosenecks all the time here at the shore.

Keeps the construction guys pretty busy.

Uncle Bob

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I tested the outside meter panel, it has a pull out fuse setup, he's got power only on one of the service lines in. I told him to call the power company, because it's is their problem... I don't think he has yet... freaking lazy POS... I feel like I wasted my time, as I feel this is a fire waiting to happen, I find the problem, tell him who to call, the fix is free, but nope to lazy to call.... I hope his xbox fries!