Posted by greg k on March 01, 2014 at 17:31:38 from (70.197.212.165):
I was called to a house to look at a problem with the lights. It turns out that when the furnace kicked on the lights would dim. The same problem occurred when the coffee pot was used. I walked down to the basement and removed the cover on the panel. The thing was full of new breakers, but the main breaker was old and the connections were so rusted that I couldn't even see the screw head on the lugs. When I reached up and touched it half the basement lights went out and I could see arcing behind the main breaker. After a little talking I found out that the basement had flooded full of water about 20 years ago and the panel had not been replaced. Several days later I showed up to replace the entire panel and all went as expected. However by the time that I was finishing I was pressed for time to get the boys from school so I gave it a quick once over to make sure things worked and everything seemed OK. Got a call a few days later that the problem persisted. When I went back I checked voltage on the main lugs. I found 134 volts on A phase and 114 volts on B phase to ground. Classic case of the incoming neutral gone bad. After double checking my work I pulled the electric meter outside and all connections seemed good. At that point I called the power company and they said they would take care of it. The lineman called me later and we compared notes and all seemed OK. That is until today when I got another call and the problem persisted. When I went back today I finally fount that the neutral connection in the meter socket was bad. There were 2 #4 SE cables, 1 supply and 1 power to panel, and the neutrals were behind a metal "washer" Apparently one of these neutrals was thicker than the other and held it out so that the load one was making a poor connection. Since this was an old meter socket there was next to no room to work and just a PITA but that seems to have fixed it. How can something so simple get missed so many times? Maybe stranger still is how did this not happen in the previous 30 years since it was installed, and how did that wet breaker work for 20 years?
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Talk of the Town: The Saga of Grandpa's Tractor - by The following saga is from the Tractor Talk Discussion Forum. Someone. The saga starts with the following message: Hey guys I have a decision to make. I know what you all will probably suggest and it will probably agree with me way down inside, but here it is. I have a picture blown up and framed in my "tractor room" of a Farmall M. It was my Grandpa's tractor, of which whom I never got to meet. He froze to death getting this tractor out of the barn to pull a truck out of the ditch before I was born. Anyway my dad and aunt had to sell it at the auction,
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.