Question about house electric problem

[P.Allan]

For a couple of days the lights would be dim or later REAL bright and the micro wave would cook real slow or real fast.So we called the power co and two guys came right away with lots of equipment. Any way they checked the meter voltage and found one leg around 155 volts and the other leg about 60 volts and they told me the incoming ground wire had a break some where along the incoming wire some where after the transformer. Fortunatly it turned out to be a connector on the transformer so it was easy to fix. Now my question is how can the voltages be so far apart when they use the same ground wire on both legs.

 

[rlitman]

It is called a loose neutral. The voltage from leg to leg will always be 240 (give or take). The neutral will float somewhere between them.

 

[offroadsteve]

Expanding on what rlitman said, since your neutral was not tied to the transformer properly, it "floated" somewhere between the L1 and L2 "hot" legs coming into the house.

The leg at 60V probably had a higher load on it, thus more resistance and a lower voltage. The leg at 155V was lower resistance, so a higher voltage. In simple terms... if you had a light bulb between L1 and neutral, then the microwave between neutral and L2 (assuming these were the only two loads active in the house), the light bulb would present relativly low resistance, thus a high voltage, and vice versa on the microwave (assuming a nominal 1000W microwave).

Glad to hear it was an easy fix!! Usually those sorts of stories end with big $$ in repairs to all sorts of components because the high voltage fried some electronics

 

[Bender78]

Usually those sorts of stories end with big $$ in repairs to all sorts of components because the high voltage fried some electronics

Yup, happened to me last year. I lost a TV, two stereo receivers, the kitchen range controller, two garage door openers, and a bunch of other little things. I put a claim into the power company and they effectively told me to go piss up a rope.

 

[P.Allan]

Thanks for the answers. The only thing we lost was an alarm clock and my son was holding it at the when it just smoked and it was dead. No wonder they came right out. Like you all said it could have been a lot worse.

 

[kursplat]

curious if you have any nieghbors on the same transformer and if you asked them if they noticed it too

 

[jwillis]

Just be glad you didn't lose that neutral. That happened to me several years ago and every appliance in my house got hit with 220 volts. Two microwaves, about four phones, three TVs, garage door opener, all the outside lights, coffee pot, etc. Fortunately the insurance took care of everything. But it was scary seeing all my lights get twice as bright as they should and then go out.

 

[jwillis]

I am watching the AAN channel with houses for sale in Florida. They just showed a house for sale with the breaker box on the outside of the garage. I guess it is OK down in that area. But I wouldn't want mine outside.

 

[P.Allan]

My shop is on the same transformer but with its own meter and a different splice for the ground wire so we had no problem. The Workman said the splice connector was an older style that could get water inside and when it froze would expand thus loosening the connection. --Live and learn -- they don't use this type of connector any more

 

[jkeyser14]

Yup, happened to me last year. I lost a TV, two stereo receivers, the kitchen range controller, two garage door openers, and a bunch of other little things. I put a claim into the power company and they effectively told me to go piss up a rope.

I lost a computer 2 years ago. This was after I had contacted them about the problem once already. I put in a claim and they denied it. However, the first time I called they refused to come out and check my connection for the problem because I wasn't able to take off from work to be home. In the end I let it go, but looking back on it, I should have reported them to the state.

 

[where2]

I am watching the AAN channel with houses for sale in Florida. They just showed a house for sale with the breaker box on the outside of the garage. I guess it is OK down in that area. But I wouldn't want mine outside.

Doesn't seem to phase my breakers. I've got a meter box with space for 8 breakers on the back of the house (outside) and a sub-panel inside to run all the stuff in the house. It's convenient actually.

Glad the OP noticed and the POCO actually cared enough to come out. Every other loose neutral story I've heard came out with many more blown items in the house. Consider yourself lucky.