Buzzing in electrical lines in home meter box.
Hello. Our home built in 2000 is having electrical problems at the intake junction box. Random, episodic vibrations loud enough to be heard through the wall and into the house are occurring at the meter box with associated light flickering during the 1 or 2 seconds of the disturbance. The disturbance has required the tightening of the cable attachments , ( not by me, the electrician) but that did not correct the disturbance. One of 2 200 amp circuit breakers was changed with no effect. The power company denies it is on them ( nothing was checked other then the voltage for a few seconds and not even the waveform at that), but the lineman did note he could hear a baseline humming in the lines. A private electrician believes the main line harmonics are off but that too has not been verified. At this point I ‘ll be getting a used Fluke 41 to check the lines myself to prove the existence of a problem. It seems the sound recording the vibration is not enough to say there is a problem. The sound is similar to that of an old time door lock release buzzer (” let me buzz you in…”) but amplified to a significant degree and variable in its intensity. (audio file not accepted for upload)
Continuous voltage measurements off a house wall outlet have hot line voltage impulses of up to 50 V and neutral line impulses of up to 10 v but they are not corresponding to the buzzing and lights flickering. See file.
What are your thoughts on where the problem lies.
If the primary power line is dirty, is the power company not responsible for the problem? Or can they slide if the incidence is infrequent. Surely they can monitor the lines running off the street transformer to see where the trouble lies.
Thanks.
Replies
what is a 220v relay , (I know what a relay is)
keep posting, and on other forums, I don't think this forum has wide circulation for this type problem you can't be the only person who has had this problem.
Maybe a "bad" meter box?
Have you gone in person to the location where "the linemen hang out and talked to the supervisor there? or everything over the phone?
when you get it fixed please post what it was
sorry. they are circuit breakers.
Hello. Thank you for the reply. I should be getting the Fluke 41 soon and hope to document the abnormalities to an extent that either the electrician or power company will resolve the issue. Weekends from 4 to 6 pm is the most common time for the events. Unless I have a barbque for them, I don't see how I can have them here when needed.
It sure sounds like a loose or corroded connection to me. Make sure your electrician has checked and double-checked *all* connections, including the ground wire and in the service panel. Checking for corrosion as well as tightness, if the service entrance is aluminum (most are). I don't know what these relays are for so I don't know what to say about them, except check those connections too. I'd keep anything expensive that has sensitive electronics unplugged until you sort this out. If the issue is with the neutral, you could get a 230v surge through 115v equipment.
Sorry. Circuit breakers ; not relays. Thank you for the reply
I'm certain the circuit boards on the appliances are taking some hits. The clothes washer in particular is getting buggy.
No way am I going EV until this is resolved. I shutter to think the cost of replacing electronics in an automobile.
Bad electrical connections create heat. If you have a infared thermometer or a flir camera get it out and look for what is hotter than the rest of the panel.
Thank you for the response. Harbor Freight is just down the street. I see another tool in my tool box drawer.