Replies

1. 
   Phil_ | Jul 12, 1999 07:55pm | #1

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   Did you check the voltage on that "leg" of the panel? Perhaps it is a problem outside on the transformer. Call power company and tell em what's happenning. You might want to get a licensed electrician in on this one.

   HTH

2. 
   Guest_ | Jul 13, 1999 12:30am | #2

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   Cadman,

   Had a similiar problem a few years ago. Turned out one of the underground feed lines to the house had a small defect in the insulation. The aluminum wire eventually failed. Just before it went completely we would have eerie electrical problems every time it rained. Power company came out once, when it was dry, and the voltage was ok. Then we got a rain, lost voltage completely on one leg and it never came back. The power company found and fixed the break. Call your power supplier.

   Steve

1. 
   Guest_ | Jul 13, 1999 03:31pm | #3

   *An electrician friend of mine told me about a problem he diagnosed where a bundle of wires were attached sloppily to the bus and some had slipped out of the connection or were not properly twisted into the bundle and sometimes those circuits would cut out.I've also heard about a circuit being fed from the load side of a GFI device which winds up protecting the rest of the circuit, so you might check for that.Sounds like that whole left side is affected however and the advice already given about calling the power company is a good idea.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jul 13, 1999 07:25pm | #4

   *You may have a disconnected or poorly connected neutral, which can cause both legs to be put in series. Depending on the balance of the loads this can cause one leg to run at high voltage and the other at low. As things blow the balance changes and wierd things happen.You can also have a low amp hot to neutral short this can odd voltages in both legs causing light bulbs or worse to blow. (I had a freezer compressor go this way).Check with the power company. My philosophy is that it is better to have the guy who comes out for free tell you that you need to pay an electrician, than it is to have the electrician you pay to come out tell you that the power company could have fixed it for free.

3. 
   TPBosworth | Jul 14, 1999 08:57am | #5

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   CADMAN:

   All the other respondents seem to have hit the problem dead-on ---> You're getting half-power. One leg of your incoming power is disconnected - probably a cable fault. Happens with both underground and overhead services. The good news is that, in most cases, the power company is responsible for the cable up to your meter so the repairs may be FREE!

   Good luck,
   Tim

4. 
   Guest_ | Jul 14, 1999 10:23pm | #6

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   The 4/0 aluminum wires are a hint. The connections on either end could be bad. Aluminum loosens from thermal cycling much more easily than copper it not torqued properly.

5. 
   Cadman | Jul 14, 1999 11:50pm | #7

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   To All who have responded:

   It turns out that the meter socket had worn out due to corrosion and heat damage. Power company guy came out late Monday, checked all external wire connections, (ALL required tighting), and popped meter. Two "JAWS" where discolored, one damaged to the point that vertually no tension was left thus arced like crazy causing a heat buildup which shut down thermal protection circuitry in the meter itself. When circuit cut-in, power to that buss went down.

   Thanks for all of your concern.

   Cadman

6. 
   Cadman | Jul 14, 1999 11:50pm | #8

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   Dear Reader:

   I am having a very disturbing electrical problem. Two or three days ago, some of my lights at home would occasionally blink, dim, etc. As an electrical storm was passing in the distance, I thought nothing of this occurrence. Yesterday, I turned on the bathroom light, it blinked, then went out. Aha.. The bulb blew, change the bulb, turn on light, . . . nothing. Take old bulb; try in living room lamp, Tada, light. Put new bulb tried in bathroom light, Tada, bulb works. Re-install bulb back in bathroom fixture.

   I went to the electrical panel to check the breakers and found none to be tripped, (mix of one and two pole breakers in 3 wire, 120/240 volt, system, [three 4/0 aluminum wires enter box at top]). I then checked around the house and found power in some rooms and none in others.

   I recycled all of the single pole breakers (15 & 20 amp mix), one by one, . . . nothing. I turned off all breakers, the main breaker included, turned main on, then each circuit breaker, one at a time. As some of the breakers are labeled, I have spouse check specific rooms and appliances. This working, that's not. Turn all breakers off again . . .

   To make a long, frustrating story short, through process of elimination, I find all circuits connected to the left hand buss are predisposed to failure. By turning on something connected to a circuit on that buss, and the whole buss goes out, without any breakers tripping out. This is my reason for concern.

   Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, ASAP.

   Thank you all in advance,

   Cadman