[michaelson]

A friend of mine is letting me stay at his summer home for a few weeks this summer. I turned on the power in the fuse box and I noticed that all of the lights look quite dim. I found a multi-tester in the garage which I poked into an electrical outlet and it said that the voltage was about 70 volts. I took the fuses out and I am scared to go any further. What could be wrong?

 

[SD515]

Are all the lights in the house dim or just some of them? Did you check just one or two receptacles, or most of them?

Could be loose a connection(s) in the fuse/breaker panel, the meter socket, the connection to the utility wires or at the transformer itself.

If you’re uncomfortable working with electricity, better to have an electrician look at it.

 

[michaelson]

The lights are all on their own circuit and the outlets are on their own. They are both dim/low.

 

[SD515]

Well, the next step would be to open the fuse box and test the voltage coming in from the meter and check the connections themselves.

DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ELECTRICITY OR ARE INEXPERIENCED !! One set of wires in there is going to be live and can only be shut off by removing the meter, which you may not be allowed to remove, due to power company regulations.

You mentioned before you were scared to go any further, which is why I suggested having an electrician look at it.

 

[michaelson]

I talked with my friend who's place it is and he called the power company for me. They're sending someone by midnight tonight to check that the power coming from the street is within acceptable limits.