Weird home electrical issue - help?

[Mr. Habib]

Glad to hear they got it fixed before the big red trucks arrived.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Glad to hear they got it fixed before the big red trucks arrived.

ME TOO.

My wife's been through a house fire before - when she was a pre-teen. The smell still triggers the emotions for her.

Plus - her mother just died in an explosion/fire....

I think if anything, however minor, would happen at our house - I don't know what'd happen.

-J-

 

[remauto1187]

Yup these sypmtpoms are stereotypically a loose neutral. Either at the neutral bus bar in the circuit breaker panel OR along the service entrance path which could be the main neutral lug in your panel, neutral lug on meter panel or even at the pole/transformer. Just FYI for those that want to find out quick and dirty, take a infrared thermometer and hit all neutral connections with it. The cuplrity will usually be hotter than all the good to go connections. Keep in mind the loose connection will only be hot when THAT circuit is "on" (AKA Drawing Current). Its not a bad idea to hit all your connections annually or even semiannually with a infrared thermometer and check for any connections that are substantially different from the others.

A loose ground WOULD NOT cause this problem. You should have ZERO current flow in your ground wiring(under normal everyday operation). Its only purpose in life is to take current to ground which causes the breaker for that feed/circuit to trip. Current flow back to the power company is accomplished via your neutrals.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Yup these sypmtpoms are stereotypically a loose neutral. Either at the neutral bus bar in the circuit breaker panel OR along the service entrance path which could be the main neutral lug in your panel, neutral lug on meter panel or even at the pole/transformer. Just FYI for those that want to find out quick and dirty, take a infrared thermometer and hit all neutral connections with it. The cuplrity will usually be hotter than all the good to go connections. Keep in mind the loose connection will only be hot when THAT circuit is "on" (AKA Drawing Current). Its not a bad idea to hit all your connections annually or even semiannually with a infrared thermometer and check for any connections that are substantially different from the others.

A loose ground WOULD NOT cause this problem. You should have ZERO current flow in your ground wiring(under normal everyday operation). Its only purpose in life is to take current to ground which causes the breaker for that feed/circuit to trip. Current flow back to the power company is accomplished via your neutrals.

PFFF! who needs an IR thermometer. Just hit it with your finger to see if its hot.

ETA: Dont really do that. In hindsight I realized there wasnt enough purple in the world to apply above. "I shocked myself when I stuck my finger in the electrical panel" spoof in 3...2....1...

 

[Scout]

575 FTW !

We've got some equipment at work that runs on 4160. A couple motors run on 4160 AC and 125 DC.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

You'd not believe how much uncoiled rice that Duke Energy brought out!

As surmised above - it's the neutral.

They're supposed to be bringing out a temp "bridge" type dealio that'll suffice until they can come out next week and make a permanent repair.

fitting that it's Thanksgiving - I'm so very thankful that this won't be something that we'll have to pay for out of pocket. And that our home didn't burn down/up....

-J-

So it's on their side? At the transformer? Meter base? Everything's OK on your side?

Good thing you called them.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

So it's on their side? At the transformer? Meter base? Everything's OK on your side?

Good thing you called them.

Not 'zactly sure where it is. The ground transformer is in the corner of my yard + three others. My immediate neighbor said he didn't notice anything goofy with his lights / appliances.

But yes, somewhere on the "outside" of my house is the issue.

And after it's repaired...I'll probably have an electrician come out and double check the main panel.

 

[Lex Concord]

If you are asking on here, you probably have little or no electrical experience and I would not suggest you go any further. Call a qualified electrician and have them look at it. But it could be a multitude of things causing this type of issue from a bad wire to a bad lug on the transformer.

^^^^^
This

I'm sure you'd hate to have your family spend $6,000 on your funeral when you were trying to save $60 - $600

 

[Lex Concord]

Check your flux capacitor.

It should look similar to this:

Okay, I hadn't thought of that. Seeing ATM's post, however, got me to thinking...he's probably right. Just be sure to shield your eyes when you check it out.

 

[churchmouse]

We've got some equipment at work that runs on 4160. A couple motors run on 4160 AC and 125 DC.

I have worked on some serious refrigeration systems that were operating on 4160. I did not ever attempt to work on the switch gear in them. just way to crazy for me and I am somewhat fearless.
I have worked on some DC equipment that was 1250 Volts and DC is scary crap as well. It will reach out of the panel and get after you.

Indy, so glad you have this dealt with.

Happy "T" day.

 

[Mr. Habib]

What a bunch of wimps. You haven't lived until you've worked on equipment that produces 650kV dc and 100mA or 350Vdc and 5kA. I fart in your general direction.

 

[Rookie]

What a bunch of wimps. You haven't lived until you've worked on equipment that produces 650kV dc and 100mA or 350Vdc and 5kA. I fart in your general direction.

I stuck my tongue on a 9v battery. Yeah, I'm bad...

 

[red_zr24x4]

ME TOO.

My wife's been through a house fire before - when she was a pre-teen. The smell still triggers the emotions for her.

-J-

Been there. She's not kidding, certain smells bring it all back.
Glad you got it figured out.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

^^^^^
This

I'm sure you'd hate to have your family spend $6,000 on your funeral when you were trying to save $60 - $600

Sign me up for a $6k funeral! That's a danged bargain!

 

[remauto1187]

We've got some equipment at work that runs on 4160. A couple motors run on 4160 AC and 125 DC.

You sure that 125vdc isnt used for braking? Its common in industrial plants to use DC to brake conveyor motors, etc.

 

[Leo]

I am familiar with the open frame 4160 VAC GE motors. They are large diameter pancake shaped. The 125 VDC rides on slip rings that magnetize windings on the armature. Kind of a weird system, but they get full torque at pretty low RPM's. There are motors of this style in industry that have been in continuous duty since the early 1900's. Many of the ones at ALCOA in Lafayette are 2300 V fields and I think 80VDC armature windings.

 

[CathyInBlue]

If you're running your power cables into the house through rigid metal conduit, is that metal conduit involved electricly at all? Is it used as the ground line? Would you seal the threads of rigid conduit with plumber's putty to make it water tight for any reason? Would that muck with the electrical properties?

 

[ATM]

...They're supposed to be bringing out a temp "bridge" type dealio...

One question: does it look simliar to this?

Just sayin'...

 

[remauto1187]

If you're running your power cables into the house through rigid metal conduit, is that metal conduit involved electricly at all? Is it used as the ground line? Would you seal the threads of rigid conduit with plumber's putty to make it water tight for any reason? Would that muck with the electrical properties?

Absolutely not. In a house you never use metal conduit as a ground path. You run a seperate copper conductor for ground which is usually a #6. The ground conductor should run from the FIRST disconnects' ground bus bar. The first disconnect is typically the main circuit breaker panel but could also be a Meter base panel that has a main breaker then in that case IT would be the first disconnect. In that case a #6 would go from its ground bus bar to earth ground (ground rod) AND also a #6 to the ground bus bar of the main panel plus the neutral/ground bus bar would be bonded(via jumper) AND you would disconnect the jumper between ground and the neutral bus bar in the main panel since it would then NOT be the first disconnect. The same is true if your home fed your garage circuit breaker panel. The garage neutral and ground would NOT be bonded and a #6 would run from the home panel ground bus bar all the way out to the garage ground bus bar. You NEVER run seperate earth grounding rods for your home and garage.

 

[CathyInBlue]

So, ground and neutral are only ever bonded at the first disconnect?
So, when burying rigid conduit, pipe dope on the threads to waterproof it is A-OK?