Neutral Conductor Troubleshooting - Voltage Fluctuations

I recently began experiencing overvoltage and undervoltage fluctuations in my home. And as a result, I have lost two small televisions and a computer monitor. I'm also unable to run any motor loads such as the refrigerator, washing machine or vacuum cleaner. I also have trouble with loads such as a toaster or even an iron .

Under noload conditions, with all branch breakers off, I'm measuring

240V L-L and 120V both L-N and L-G at the main. Both line and load side of the main breaker have the same readings.

With loads on the system, readings range from 80 to 160 volts L-N depending on the loads.

The utility came out when I was not at home and checked their lines when all loads were off, not even a clock was plugged-in (absolute noload conditions) and declared everything on their end to be fine. They will not return and also said it is not their problem. They suggest I "check my breakers." My house is served from a tap on an overhead 240V line which also serves other homes. From the line tap to my meter the utility says everthing is OK.

I have therefore deduced based on the symtoms I am experiencing that I likely may have a problem with a neutral conductor(s).

Can someone recommend a systemic approach to troubleshooting this problem so that I can isolate the affected branch circuit(s). Please be detailed and technical. For example, if I need to lift each branch circuit from the breaker and megger it to determine the resistance L-N and L-G, etc. then I will rent a megger. Do not suggest that I "check my breakers" because they have not tripped.

Thanks

Reply to
eddie
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I assume that the utility company checked line and load inside the meter. First tighten the main neutral connection inside of your circuit breaker panel. Then tighten each and every neutral and ground connection inside of the circuit breaker panel.

I would also check your main ground connection at the water main. If it is corroded, replace the ground clamp.

You should also tighten down your main line connections and all of the circuit breaker terminals.

While doing all of this tightening down you may notice that one or more terminals requires a few more turns than others. Those may be the source of your problems. Generally anything a quarter turn or less is not significantly loose.

Reply to
John Grabowski

The position of that statement immediately above this one in your post has me believing you are measuring those "improper" voltages at the line or load side of the main breaker, to the neutral wire itself where it enters the panel from your meter base.

If that's the case, then the "loose disconnection" i.e. a high resistance connection of a neutral conductor, MUST be ahead of the panel.

If the utility did a proper check all the way to the input side of your meter base, and if I interpreted yourwords above correctly, then the high resistance connection must be between the meter base and where the neutral line enters your breaker panel. I'm not sure how things work where you are, but around here you have to get the utility to come around and pull the meter to make it safe to work on the meter to panel wiring.

A megger is NOT what you need, you're looking for higher than normal resistance at a connection along the neutral path from your side of the meter to the places where your home's loads are connected. A megger is used to measure high leakage resistances at high voltages.

If I didn't interpret you correctly above, and you are measuring those unbalanced voltages to the neutral lead connecting strips in the panel or to the neutral side of a receptical elsewhere in the home where some load is plugged in, then:

As a start, look for all the binding clamp screws you can find on all the neutral bus bars in your panel and give all of them a good tightening. If you're lucky, that'll do it.

But, as always, BE CAREFULL around electricity.

HTH,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

With no load, voltage measurement with a multi-meter doesn't reveal almost open (high resistance) connection. Instead, hook up a lamp (anything > 1W) between L1-N and L2-N, one at a time. If it doesn't light up, there is an open neutral before the panel.

Now assuming the open neutral is after the panel, the suggestion to tighten all neutral wires in the panel is a easy place to start. If that doesn't work, then divide and conquer:

Turn on only one breaker at a time and test the corresponding circuit with a

3-light receptacle tester (you can get this for $4 - $8 at hardware store). Test all outlets in that circuit (or test the first and last one if you know which is which). If some says ok and some says open neutral, then the open neutral is somewhere in between.

Repeat for all breakers.

Reply to
peter

Thanks to everyone for their assistance. After extensive testing and checking of every oulet in home, I reached the conclusion that the bad neutral connection was on the line-side of my panel. To make a long story short, I faxed all my tests results to PECO (my utility) and they sent a serviceperson out for the third time. Lo and behold, they found the bad neutral connection where my service connects to their overhead line.

Thanks

peter wrote:

Reply to
eddie

Congrats! If you can convince them to come out a 3rd time, you must have presented pretty clear and convincing test results. I wonder why or how they could fail to find the problem on the first and 2nd time.

How did the neutral connection go bad? Weather related?

Reply to
peter

The data was clear, convincing and extremely thorough. I was insulted that they dare suggest that "I check my breakers". Your suggestion to use a lamp inspired me to take voltage readings of every receptacle in my home with a uniform 100W load applied. With the voltage reading of every receptacle and the corresponding L-N voltage readings at the main breaker made it evident that the problem was on the line-side of my panel. Had the problem been within my house, one of the receptacle voltage readings would have been abnormal. All of my readings confirmed that the voltage on the line-side of the main breaker would always rise on one leg and drop on the other leg by the same amount regardless of which receptacle the load was applied to.

There were also no loose neutral connections in the panel.

There had recently been bad storms in the area so the problem may have been weather related.

My next task is to recover for damaged equipment!

Thanks

peter wrote:

Reply to
eddie

This would be interesting. If they won't hand it to you, maybe it's time to move this thread to misc.legal NG.

Reply to
peter

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