Joe Werle
New Member
I'm helping out a widowed friend whose house has a newer 200 amp panel. Lack of money precludes hiring a real electrician. The lights work but when I try to run my 7.5" skilsaw the power drops and it runs slow or just grinds. The lights either dim or get brighter. I've checked for 110 volts coming in and going out of the main. Friends suggest the amperage is what I need to check. Not sure how to do that. Others suggested that the grounding is weak or loose, but it seems the new panel is grounded to an exterior ground rod as well as the neutral coming in off the pole. The friends son, who is out of state, thought there is a short which could be draining off the power, possibly connecting to the pipes and ductwork under the kitchen. I was not brave enough to verify that.
Is there a troubleshooting process/system available? It seems there are so many options I get lost trying to track the problem down.
In the new panel there are two double pole breakers and 5 new 110 breakers. One of the double pole breakers goes to the old panel which also has a 100 amp main. ( from there it ties into the existing Romex and BX circuits. I turned off the secondary main ( Called a 'slave'), and rewired a single 110 receptacle into one side of the other double pole breaker ( a 50 amp to the stove) Tried my saw in that temporary circuit and still have the same loss of power.
After I got home last night I thought about turning off all the breakers and all the other grounds- except for the temporary one I'm using. Would that isolate the problem?
Is there a troubleshooting process/system available? It seems there are so many options I get lost trying to track the problem down.
In the new panel there are two double pole breakers and 5 new 110 breakers. One of the double pole breakers goes to the old panel which also has a 100 amp main. ( from there it ties into the existing Romex and BX circuits. I turned off the secondary main ( Called a 'slave'), and rewired a single 110 receptacle into one side of the other double pole breaker ( a 50 amp to the stove) Tried my saw in that temporary circuit and still have the same loss of power.
After I got home last night I thought about turning off all the breakers and all the other grounds- except for the temporary one I'm using. Would that isolate the problem?