I have one circuit active, all others are off and inactive. when I switch on a 9watt led bulb , one 120 volt leg at the service panel drops to 36vac and the other 120vac leg at the panel jumps up to 204 vac. The circuit is disconnected to where only the bulb is the only thing on the circuit. I have four circuits and they all exhibit the same behavior. I am only working on one circuit at a time.
home electrical system cannot handle a 9 watt led load
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
The neutral path is broken somewhere, along that portion of the wiring shared by all 4 circuits which could possibly be the line going out to the meter.
This is a dangerous situation. Some of the 120 volt equipment plugged in can receive up to 240 volts which can cause damage or a fire.
This is a dangerous situation. Some of the 120 volt equipment plugged in can receive up to 240 volts which can cause damage or a fire.
one microwave, a computer, 2 surge protectors and a paper shredder all smoked when they were plugged in to an outlet. so, yes, I found out it was dangerous and unplugged everything in a receptacle.
I have inspected all the wiring I could locate in the attic under blown in insulation and have not found any loose neutrals yet. Since both 120 vac legs have 120vac before I put the 9 watt led load on one circuit, can I assume the problem is in the house wiring and not the power company transformer outside?
Joined
·
7,829 Posts
No, quite the opposite. The 9 watt load has nothing to do with it. ANY load at all would cause the situation you are experiencing. More than likely it is either in part of the main service, or on the utility side.
In my experience it is more often a POCO issue.
No one else in the neighborhood fed by the same transformer on the pole have problems. Still think I should get the power company to look at their transformer?
Joined
·
24,989 Posts
I had a similar issue but less severe. When the POCO arrived they had this device for testing for an open neutral. They removed the meter and plugged it in.
The two red displays showed the voltage of each leg and they could apply a load to one side and see if the voltage changed indicating an open neutral before the meter.
If the problem was after the meter it would not show on this device.
The other device laying there is the meter they removed.
![]()
The two red displays showed the voltage of each leg and they could apply a load to one side and see if the voltage changed indicating an open neutral before the meter.
If the problem was after the meter it would not show on this device.
The other device laying there is the meter they removed.
The POCO arrived in 90 minutes. I told them I suspected an open neutral coming from the pole. The lineman went to the alley and looked up at the pole and saw a wire lose. He went up and repaired it and all was well. He took 30 minutes total. Also, I finally knew it was an open neutral when I removed all the neutrals a the service panel and a light was still on in the house. It was completing its circuit through a ground attached to the service panel.
Many thanks to all who replied to my thread.
Many thanks to all who replied to my thread.
Joined
·
11,194 Posts
Since the open neutral was on the POCO side, you should be able to file a claim against them for your damaged equipment. Some POCOs post the claim procedures on their website, or you can call for the info.
My POCO is pretty good on settling legitimate claims like yours. Hopefully, yours is also.
My POCO is pretty good on settling legitimate claims like yours. Hopefully, yours is also.
Joined
·
11,061 Posts
Glad they fixed it, but removing all the neutrals was not the best thing to do.
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
